Dating What Daddy Hates
by Coeur Al'Aran
Summary: Weiss needed a significant other for a meeting between her father and some powerful business people. Sun needed a way to convince Blake to go with him to the school dance. Luckily, Blake has a solution to both problems. Sun pretending to be Weiss' boyfriend wasn't what he or Weiss would have ideally wanted, but how hard could it be? It's not like there were any feelings involved.
1. Chapter 1

**So, here we are with a new fic. This plot is – and I'll admit it freely – a rather common trope for romance fiction. It's not just in fanfiction, but has been in numerous movies, books and more. I know that and am happy with it. I wanted to write one nonetheless. More than that, I wanted to try and do this type of story properly.**

 **The pairing might be considered cracky but give it a go. I don't think this will be a long fic, and I'm kind of trying to work on stories nowadays that are of a more reasonable length. For some, anyway. Certain fics will be mega length like Professor Arc, NTF and Forged Destiny, but I also want some short and sweet stories like Stress Relief and Beacon Civil War.**

 **Given the unusual pairing, I don't expect this to be my most popular work, but I enjoyed writing Captain Dragon. It's fun to sometimes write a story where Jaune is not involved.**

 _Small note: This chapter is being posted and uploaded by a friend as I am busy at an expo. If there are any errors with genre, story type, etc, then they'll be fixed when I get back to my hotel or when I have time._

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this…"

Weiss Schnee sat in an abandoned diner digging her heel into the floor as she waited for her `boyfriend` to arrive. The emphasis on the word was important, for Weiss did not _have_ a boyfriend, nor someone she was seeing, nor even an interest in seeing anyone. And yet here she was, waiting, dreading. A mug rose to her lips and Weiss flinched, looking down. It was empty. Impatiently, she flagged down a waitress who looked as tired as she felt and ordered another.

He wasn't late; she was early. It was still fifteen minutes until the time when they'd agreed to meet and she'd only come because she worked best under pressure. Sitting in the safety of their dorm, she might have worn a hole in the carpet pacing back and forth, but out here in public, Weiss had an image to maintain.

That image did not, as it turned out, include a boyfriend. Her fingers tapped energetically on the table's surface as she watched both the door and the clock above it. As two minutes ticked by, Weiss caved and dug out her scroll once more. The tone only rang twice before it answered.

"I don't think I can do this, Blake."

" _Already? Is he even there yet?"_

"No. There's still time. This was a bad idea. I knew it would be, but-"

" _You don't have much of a choice, Weiss. You told us that. Unless you think your sister was wrong."_

"I trust Winter."

" _Well, there you have it,"_ Blake said, with the kind of tone that told Weiss her arguments were pointless. _"If your father really is looking to marry you off to someone, you need to have a date to this business meet. It's only for, what, four days?"_

"Five days," Weiss corrected. "Four nights." She had the distinct impression Blake was rolling her eyes on the other end of the call.

" _Right. It's not too late to change your mind, you know. He'll not be offended."_

Weiss teased her lower lip with her teeth. "Who else is there?"

" _Jaune?"_

"Out of the question. Besides what that would do to Pyrrha, I don't want to encourage him with something like this." Or hurt him if he believed it was any more than it was. While Weiss didn't necessarily enjoy Jaune's company, she held no desire to be cruel about it.

" _What about Neptune?"_

"Not him."

" _I thought you liked him."_

"I might," Weiss admitted. "It's too early to tell." He was handsome and charismatic, with a smile that made her heart stutter. Weiss would admit there was attraction there; she just wouldn't admit it to Blake when Ruby was no doubt listening in. "If there _is_ something there, I don't want to make things complicated with this. I was hoping to invite him to the school dance, not..."

" _Not something like this, since it would be too heavy when you're not really together. I get it. And Ren is obviously out because Nora. You don't really have a lot of options, Weiss. Not unless you want to ask Cardin to pretend to be your boyfriend."_

Weiss sighed. "I know, Blake, it's just… Sun?"

" _He's perfect for the role."_

"Really…?" she asked sarcastically.

" _Hear me out, Weiss. You need someone to pretend to be your boyfriend so that your father doesn't try to pair you off with someone you don't know or like. You need someone your age, someone you can trust, and someone who isn't going to be swayed or intimidated. Sun is all of those things, and better still, he has no interest in you whatsoever."_

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Blake laughed. _"I mean that he won't get the wrong idea. He won't let it go to his head like Jaune would. There aren't any awkward feelings between you like with Neptune, and there's no competition like there would be with Ren. You don't need a boyfriend, Weiss. You need someone to pretend to be your boyfriend. You need an actor."_

"I suppose you're right."

" _You know I am. Sun will look out for you and be a perfect gentleman. It's not like he's going to try anything. I promised I'd go to the dance with and give him a real chance if he did this."_

Weiss snorted, "I guess that'll stop him being bribed off, at least."

" _Be nice to him,"_ Blake chastised. _"He isn't all that bad."_

And he was helping her, Wiess thought with a sigh. "You're right. I'll see this through."

" _Good. Ruby and Yang say good luck. If you can get any signal, give us a call once you're there."_

"I shall. See you all in a week." Weiss ended the call and sat back. She felt a little better already, and when the waitress came back with her coffee she sipped of it in silence, lost in thought.

The letter from father had come unexpectedly. The SDC had, through some interesting business deals, come to acquire a high-class holiday resort known as Amber Cove. On the western shoreline of Mistral and nestled between two large cliff-faces, the resort was a holiday destination for the rich and famous. Weiss had never visited, though she knew her father had once or twice. She wasn't sure if that motivated his desire to acquire it, or if that were personal greed and little more, but the current owners had been bought out.

As part of the deal, however, the owners wished to meet with the Schnee family, ostensibly to hear the SDC's plans for the Cove before they made the decision whether to sell or not. Such wasn't terribly uncommon, but that they'd requested Winter, Weiss and Whitley attend was. It should have been enough for Jacques to meet with them and finalise everything, seeing as he was the one who would have immediate control once the papers were signed.

Weiss might have thought nothing of the request – or demand – that she attend. Father had been forced to invite her and that was that. However, another letter from Winter had arrived with it, marked as urgent.

The family selling, the Metelia family, had a son of seventeen years, Azure Metelia.

It was nothing definitive, but Winter had strongly suggested Weiss find a reason to be unapproachable. Barring the ability to say no and not attend, coming with a significant other was the only thing she and her team could think of.

Weiss kneaded her brow with one hand. "I can't believe I'm doing this…"

The bell above the door to the diner chimed twice. Weiss glanced up, cursed inwardly to herself, and ducked her head as Sun entered. She shouldn't have, but this was embarrassing enough that she wasn't quite ready to face him just yet. Instead, as he looked around once and made his way to the counter, Weiss took a moment to inspect her… date.

Sun was by no means an unattractive man. In fact, he was rather pleasing on the eye. Broad shouldered, well-sculpted and with wild blond hair that hinted at a rough and tumble boyish nature, he could – and likely had – set many women's hearts aflutter. He'd buttoned his white shirt today, either to acknowledge the cold early morning or because he felt he'd best make an effort for her, but he normally went around with his abs on display. Abs that even Weiss would admit to admiring once or twice, as if she were alone in that. She'd even caught Ruby looking once. He'd also gone for some black jeans instead of the blue he wore drawn up. His appearance was smart, or at least as smart as someone as bright, cheerful and roguish as Sun Wukong could look.

And that was the issue, really. Or the reason why Weiss didn't entirely like him. It wasn't the tail that swept behind him – she wasn't that shallow – but rather his personality and overall manner. Sun was so _cheerful_. So nice and energetic and outgoing. He might have reminded her of a female Yang, especially with the hair, and while there was nothing wrong with that, it just wasn't her type. Weiss preferred cool, intellectual and mysterious men. Men like Neptune.

 _Maybe that's for the best,_ Weiss considered. _Like Blake said, I'm not looking for a partner, just someone to act the role._

Sun's interests were well-known in that regard and lay firmly with the faunus member of their team, Blake. He hadn't had much luck there, but he was persistent, and not in the way Jaune was, so Weiss figured he had a fairly good chance in time. If all went well here, Sun would get his date with Blake a little sooner than expected. That ought to keep him focused.

When his eyes roamed over the diner once more, Weiss finally raised her head, catching his bright blue eyes. Sun noticed, waved, and slowly made his way over. Despite that they'd not interacted much, Sun met her eyes with a cheerful smile.

"Morning."

"It certainly is." Weiss cursed herself for a fool a moment later, and again when Sun raised a single eyebrow. "Sorry. My head isn't in the right place. This is…" She struggled for the right words.

"Not what you thought you'd be doing today?" he offered.

"Yes. That's a good way to put it."

"Heh. That makes two of us, then. Blake told me what she could about this. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all. It's best you know the full story." Weiss relaxed, pleased he'd brought the conversation to business and not the awkward air between them. It was to be expected, and there really wasn't much either of them could do about it. Best to ignore it rather than draw attention. "Did you have any questions?"

"Got a couple, yeah." Sun took a sip of his coffee and put the mug down. "It's mostly on what you want from me, you know. How you want me to act an' all that. What to say, what to do, what _not_ to say…"

"It almost sounds like you've done this before."

"Nah." Sun laughed. "Just been agonising over it all the way here. You know how it is. Thinking of everything I had to ask. Blake said I need to pretend to be the perfect boyfriend but, well, I don't have much to go on there. What's perfect to you?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure."

Weiss ran a finger around the rim of her mug as she considered the question. Her ideal of the perfect man and what Sun was differed greatly, and she wasn't sure she _wanted_ him to meet that ideal. It might just make this more awkward than it already was. In terms of improvements, his manner of speech would almost certainly get on her father's nerves and Weiss wasn't so enthused with it herself. Sun was rough around the edges and it showed. His every word seemed only to dig that hole deeper.

That said, it would be rude, and probably futile, to ask him to change the entire way he spoke for a full five days. The very fact he was a faunus would rub her father the wrong way already, and likely the Metelia family, too. That might be a good thing. If they saw her as spoiled goods, they might be tempted to call off any chance of an engagement.

"For both our sakes, I'll come out and say that this whole relationship is fake," Weiss said. "We both know that."

"Sure do. No offence, of course."

"None taken," Weiss returned politely. "You are enamoured with my teammate."

"And you like mine."

"T-That has yet to be established!"

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Sun grinned at her. "I'll shut up on that. But yeah, I get it, this is fake. I'm not going to start thinking it's not on you, trust me. Blake hit me up with the full story and both Ruby and Yang gave me the expected `hurt her and die` warnings."

"Good. And thank you," Weiss added, trying not to show how embarrassed she was at the thought of what Yang or Ruby might have said. She had a feeling ignorance was bliss in that regard. "I don't think I've said it yet, but this means a lot to me. I really do need your help and I am grateful that you're willing to give it."

"Yeah." Sun's face became more serious. It wasn't an expression she'd seen on him often. "I understand how serious this is. Or I think I do, anyway. Might have helped even without Blake offering to…" He coughed and looked away. "Well, you know. Anyway, I'll play my part. I can promise you that. I just figured we should set boundaries. Like, what to do and what not to do."

"No kissing," Weiss said immediately, and then felt embarrassed a moment later. "I meant no offence with that, it's just-"

"This is going to be a thing, isn't it? How about a promise none of us will take offence for what the other says here?"

Weiss had to smile at that. He had a way with words, even if he was rough. Maybe it was the bluntness that helped. "That's probably a good idea. We're just setting limits on what each of us is comfortable on, not because we have issues with the other. Agreed?"

"Agreed. So, no kissing. I can understand and respect that. I wouldn't feel right doing that either. We can just say we don't do anything like that in public. Hand holding, though. I mean, we're going to have to show _some_ affection. You okay with that touching in public?"

"Hand holding is fine," Weiss agreed. "As is touching me without my consent, so long as you keep to areas that wouldn't normally get you slapped." Now that they were talking about it like a business deal, Weiss began to calm down, leaning forward and gesturing with her hands as she spoke. She had performed on stage numerous times before. This would be no different. "Hugs, embraces, arm around the shoulders, all of that is probably expected and you shouldn't feel afraid that I'll snap at you for doing what I'm asking you to do. We need to look like we're comfortable with one another."

Sun sighed. "That's not gonna be easy." He laid a hand on the table, palm up.

Weiss regarded it as though it were a snake.

"Just try it," he said. "You'll see what I mean."

Accepting the invitation, Weiss placed her hand in his. Sun's hand was big and warm and enclosed around her fingers entirely. She could feel the calluses on his fingers scraping gently over her skin. She'd have liked to say they meshed instantly, but that would have been a lie. While not unpleasant in any way, there was a certain… something missing. It felt more like he was gripping a weapon than a lover's hand, and on her part, she didn't look relaxed at all.

He let go and they tried again, in a few different positions. Intertwining their fingers didn't quite work; his were too big and stretched hers uncomfortably. They even ended up with a handshake that looked more formal than romantic. They eventually settled on her hand resting in his palm, fingers curled around his.

It looked forced, Weiss conceded. "The flight over will be a few hours. We'll have to practice on it."

"Heh. Who'd have thought holding someone's hand would be so hard."

Hard, yes, but not overly awkward, Weiss was relieved to say. Maybe it was how open he was, or just the earlier agreement that they had _no_ interest in one another whatsoever, but whatever the case, this felt more an amusing failure than an embarrassing one. Blake was right; Sun was perfect for this. Even more so because he was a faunus and she the heiress of the SDC.

"We'll need a fake history as well," Weiss said, "Something about how we met and how we fell in love. Something not sickeningly sweet, I beg of you."

"We could just say you had to show me around Beacon and we hit it off."

"It will have to go further than that. Specifics. Dates. How we became closer over time." Weiss fought to prevent her cheeks heating up. "It's best we think of everything and not need it than be caught unprepared." Weiss checked her scroll as the alarm beeped. "But we'll have to talk more on the flight." She swallowed. "You ready to go?"

Sun wasn't. It was obvious on his face, and in a way that helped make her feel better. Neither of them was ready.

But she appreciated that he lied and pulled a confident smile for her benefit.

"Yeah, I'm ready. Let's get this party started."

/-/

This wasn't how Sun had expected to be spending the week…

There was something bizarre about going through the check-in at the airport with the Ice Queen herself by his side. It was in the way they had to hand in their ID and bags together, and the way the woman behind the counter looked knowingly at them both, that created the unmistakeable image of their being a pair. It was an impression they wanted to give, sure, but it was still creepy.

Saying he'd be her fake boyfriend, as it turned out, was a damn sight easier than actually being it. The two of them stood with an obvious space between them, like two ends of a magnet repelling one another. A part of Sun thought he should try and sell the image by reaching for her hand; another part of him was afraid his fingers would freeze and fall off.

 _I really should have said no,_ Sun thought with a little sigh. An offer to take Blake to the dance or not, he knew he should have turned this down. Intellectually speaking – and no matter what Neptune said, Sun was no idiot – he knew that even if he went to the dance with Blake, the fact he went because of a _deal_ they made wouldn't be a good sign for a lasting relationship. He should have been the bigger person and told her he wasn't about to do this.

Should have, would have, could have – Sun had folded like a house of cards and he hated it. _It's just a week,_ he told himself, _and Ice Queen – sorry, Weiss – isn't that bad._ Not as bad as she acted, anyway. He idly watched her from the corner of his eye. She was lost in her own thoughts. Sun had the suspicion they weren't so dissimilar to his own.

Really, he did feel bad for her. He liked to think sympathy guided his actions as much as his feelings for Blake, but he knew he was leading himself on. This was all for the promise that Blake would give him a chance. A genuine chance.

And that was probably for the best. No mixed-up feelings otherwise, and Weiss didn't seem like the kind of person to take pity well.

At least Neptune had taken the news well. He knew his pal had an interest in the girl and he didn't want to intrude, but Nep had been a total bro when he heard the full story. Probably helped that Nep knew he was after Blake, and he at least understood why Weiss hadn't asked him to go. Would have been too weird. Sun had promised to put in a good word or two on Nep's behalf. Would be nice if this could end with him going to the dance with Blake and Nep with Weiss. Assuming they survived this in the first place.

 _And now I'm thinking of this like it's more dangerous than fighting the Grimm. Wonderful._

The speaker system called, announcing them to their flight. Sun followed after Weiss, a little surprised to see they were the only ones currently standing. "How expensive is this place?" he asked.

"Amber Cove is the premiere destination for the elite," Weiss said, as if she were recounting information off a brochure. "It's expensive. Very expensive."

"Explains why no one else is getting on this flight…"

"What?" Weiss glanced at him. "No, that would be because this is _our_ flight."

"And no one else is coming? It's gonna be pretty empty in there."

Weiss sighed. "It's a private flight, Sun. We _are_ the only passengers."

Oh.

Oh, right.

Open mouth insert foot. Sun sighed and followed Weiss on board, nodding to the single flight attendant, who seemed surprised to see him. Weiss stiffened and placed her hand into his almost mechanically. Shit. It started now, did it?

"I didn't realise you were bringing a guest, Miss Schnee."

"My boyfriend," Weiss said. "We _did_ purchase two tickets. Was that somehow missed?"

"No, no, no." The woman eyed Sun again and he didn't miss how her attention strayed down to his tail. Yeah, that was to be expected. Worse, Weiss noticed, and instantly bristled next to him.

Sun threw an arm around her shoulder before she could say or do anything she might regret, dragging her in so that their cheeks touched. He felt her freeze against him and forced himself to speak before he could lose his nerve altogether.

"Hey now, it's fine. It's just a little mix-up, Weiss." He grinned at the attendant. "You got our seats ready?"

"Y-Yes, of course, sir. Please," she bowed, "Follow me."

They were led to a pair of seats side by side, which were far larger and comfier than anything Sun had seen in an aircraft before. With the attendant still watching, Sun made a show of letting Weiss sit first, taking her bag and stowing it away with his own beside it. Once she was gone with a promise to come back once they were airborne, Sun sat down and buckled himself in.

"Sorry about that," he whispered. "Figured it'd be best not to ruin it, though."

"It's fine." Weiss' voice was clipped, making it clear it wasn't. Sun winced. "You're right that they might report to my father. It's best we portray the image of being together even now. It's important you realise that the _only_ person you can trust will be my sister, Winter. Don't trust anyone else there."

"I'll just pretend to everyone. Safer that way."

Weiss huffed but didn't respond. That was about expected with her. Sun couldn't claim to be close to Weiss or even to have had a proper conversation with her. He mostly knew her as Blake's teammate, but from what he'd seen – mostly of how she forgave Blake for the whole White Fang thing – she wasn't a bad person. Certainly not by the standards of what the average faunus expected of a Schnee.

She _was_ prickly, though. It was why he called her Ice Queen, even if he didn't mean it as an insult. Between her attitude and fighting abilities, it was more a statement of fact. Sun had felt he had her place in his life sorted out. She was Blake's friend, and thus someone he'd be friendly to even if they never had a need to interact further than that. Not, you know, being her boyfriend and going to meet the parents.

Not that Weiss wasn't pretty, of course. Neptune had taste and Weiss was beautiful in an untouchable kind of way. She had that slight frame, the long hair, the aristocratic features and smooth, pale skin that most people thought of when they described a princess. Had she been a normal girl, things might have been easier, but since she both looked and essentially _was_ a princess, she'd come out with the personality to go with it, and therein laid the problem.

She had the figure of a princess but not the mind to go with it. That was where Jaune went wrong, Sun felt. He looked at her like she was someone who needed to be saved, while Sun got the feeling if Weiss was ever locked in a tower, she'd find her own way out, and to hell with anyone who got in her way. Treating her like a princess wasn't going to earn the poor guy any favours. Sun might have offered him some advice but, well, not like he could claim any real success with Blake, either, so who was he to talk?

Yeah, Weiss was beautiful alright, and Sun wished Neptune all the luck in the world with her. He certainly wasn't going to try. She was just too rigid, too unyielding for him. Weiss felt like the kind of person who had her whole life planned out, whereas he preferred a more lackadaisical approach. Sure, Blake could be stubborn as well, but at least she was passionate about some things and willing to do something on the fly.

But that didn't mean he couldn't look out for her, he supposed. This was a shitty situation on both their parts and they were in it together. Sun laid his hand out on the armrest between them, palm upwards. Weiss noticed it and glanced his way.

"I'm scared. Hold my hand?"

Weiss snorted, accurately catching his teasing tone. Not that he wasn't at least a little serious. The week ahead had all the hallmarks of one from hell. Most faunus were afraid of the SDC, especially Jacques Schnee. Sun might not feel quite the same way – and that was probably for the best – but he'd have to be an idiot to not be at least a little hesitant for all this.

"My brave, brave boyfriend. I'm truly blessed to have you." Weiss laid her hand in his and his fingers curled around hers. Her hand was cold, like the rest of her. Something he'd have to get used to. "Remind me again why I'm in love with you?"

"Because of my sexy figure?"

She slapped his arm.

"Hey, being shallow is a perfectly viable excuse. It'll be believable."

"I'm _not_ pretending to be shallow – nor into you for your body. If I'm going to love you, it will be for some deeper, respectable reason."

"But it's fine if I am with you?"

"Of course. Then again, you _could_ claim to be a fan from my singing career."

"Considering I don't know a single one of your songs, that might be a stretch."

"What? How rude! Well, you'll be expected to memorise them quickly. It'll look ridiculous if my boyfriend doesn't even know anything about me."

"Doesn't that mean you'll have to know some things about me?"

Weiss cringed. "I… I suppose it does. Although I could just make up your past and no one at Amber Cove would know."

"Or we could tell one another a little bit about ourselves," Sun suggested. "Since, you know, we're supposed to be deeply in love and everything. And we've got a few hours to spare. I'm not saying our deepest secrets and all that, but at least our past and stuff."

"I suppose that would make sense."

"I'll go first," Sun offered. "So, the name's Sun Wukong and I grew up in Vacuo. No parents to speak of, not that I remember, anyway. There was an orphanage and I grew up there, where some of the bigger kids ganged together to look after the younger ones. It was hard, but we got by. See, there was this older girl I saw as a big sister who looked after me. Her name was Sophie and trust me, she was great. Rough around the edges, but great."

"Not like you're any better."

"Hey! If you're comparing me to her, I'll take that as a compliment."

Weiss rolled her eyes as Sun laughed. It was forced on both their parts, the words and gestures there but nothing quite clicking. Even so, Sun was able to forget the fact Weiss' hand was in his, so he considered that a success if nothing else.

"This is going to be an interesting week," Weiss groaned.

Yeah. That about summed up his thoughts, too.

* * *

 **So, first chapter there. It's a bit of an odd one because typically in this kind of romantic scenario, you'd have the two characters not know one another quite so well. That's not to say Weiss and Sun do really know one another, but they've already had their first impressions before now. Sun is here to help and because he gets his date with Blake. Weiss is here because she has no choice in the matter.**

 **I did have to write this chapter in advance, in the middle of a load of other deadlines, because it landed on the week of posting, I'll be away at an expo. Annoying, but I didn't realise it would fall on that.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 9** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, we actually got two cover art images since last chapter. One by Minnie2 and one by Terakali. I've put Minnie's on this time and will show Terakali's next chapter. I'm glad people are open to me trying something a little different here, and thanks for that.**

 **To those who hoped for Headmaster Arc, please know that it was always the plan (and was stated in some other fics) to have Headmaster Arc replace White Sheep. This is because it lets me not overwhelm on humour stories and also gives me an extra day to write Headmaster Arc chapters, since I can write both Wednesday and Thursday. My Tuesday slot is at the end of four four days of consecutive updates, Sat, Sun, Mon, Tue, so I don't get as much time to write for this slot.**

 **I know there are some people turned off by the pairing and that's fine, but I kind of love writing and reading crack pairings. To me, they're always so much more exciting because the pairing just seems off. It takes thought to find ways to make them mesh and work, and that inevitably ends up leading to a more exciting story. Arkos is easy because you can stay in Beacon, shrug and say "This is why Arkos works". But try and pair Mercury and Ruby or something, and you suddenly have to get adventurous. You need to step out of comfort zones, bend things and find a way to make it work, similar interests or added character development.**

 **It just ends up being more interesting. Less mundane. It's why I liked writing Knigthsade so much, and also why I enjoyed writing Jaune x Cinder in Stress Relief or Jaune x Glynda (and Neo) in Professor Arc. It's the novelty of it that makes it fun to write. I'm enjoying it here, too.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Minnie2

 **Chapter 2**

* * *

"Whoah, that the place?"

"Considering where our flight is destined for, I would assume so. If it's not, we've probably been kidnapped."

Sun shot Weiss a look. One of those flat expressions she'd have expected more off Blake. Maybe those two were more alike than either realised. She didn't think she could be blamed for not being as excited as he, however. This wasn't a holiday for her.

"It looks pretty cool. Here, come have a look." Sun was pressed up against the window but made some room for her. Not much, she noticed.

"I'll be fine, thank you."

"Come on, Weiss. Live a little."

"I'm perfectly fine living over- h-hey!" Sun had an arm around her shoulder before she could stop him, and he drew her over to the window next to him. She could have broken free and considered it, but the flight attendant might notice. "Fine," she grumbled. "I'll look, you puerile man-child."

He grinned cheekily. "Is that your romantic nickname for me? Am I _your_ man-child?"

"We'll see."

He laughed and went back to looking outside. He didn't sound offended, which she supposed she should be grateful for. With a dramatic sigh – which earned another snort from him – Weiss acquiesced to his demands and looked down on the Cove.

It was, as the name suggested, an expanse of beach and ocean trapped between two large cliff-faces, with a runway and small airport situated on the top of the cliff, presumably with a path or route down to the cove. The beach was pristine and covered in white sand, while the resort itself seemed to be built half on the beach and half on stilts, out over the shallows. It was mostly constructed of wood, although there was some straw roofing at times around a large, central building shaped as a circle. Even from so high up, the water looked crystal clear.

She had to admit, her father might have gotten a good deal on this one. The resort looked gorgeous, and had Weiss been there for any reason than this, she might have been more excited.

"Looks awesome, yeah?"

"It _does_ look nice. Just remember we're here for business, not fun."

"Doesn't mean we can't let loose a little though, right?"

Weiss hummed. "We'll see."

The flight attendant declared they were coming in for landing and bid them back to their seats. There wasn't much wind to go by, so the aircraft landed without issue and Sun and Weiss were escorted off, down a flight of stairs that had been brought up against the side of it. There were a few people waiting for them, but Weiss was relieved to not see her father among them.

On the other hand, Winter was there, which was both pleasant and cause for concern. Weiss strode past the staff of Amber Cove who wished her well and approached her sister. "Winter," she greeted, nodding politely.

Winter returned it, pleased with her decorum. "Weiss. It is good to see you. I wish it could be under better circumstances, however."

"I agree." Weiss scanned their surroundings and breathed a sigh of relief. It really was just Winter. "I got your message."

"So I see." Winter's attention was focused over her head. "Is _he_ your pick? Please tell me this is just a temporary arrangement, a farce put together specifically for this purpose."

Weiss turned to follow Winter's gaze, to where Sun was chatting with some of Amber Cove's staff. They looked nervous, or maybe confused, but greeted him professionally. One put a front of flowers around his neck. She'd tried to do the same to Weiss, but one glare was enough to put a stop to that. Sun looked ridiculous. His huge grin only made it worse.

"It's fake," Weiss said. "He's a… friend."

"Thank goodness. Does he know…?"

"He knows. He agreed to help." Weiss coughed loudly, and then a second time when the first failed to grab his attention. Sun looked over a second later and said something to the staff member, walking across with a confident smile. Weiss despaired immediately, especially when Sun held a hand out.

"Hey. Sun Wukong. I'm Weiss' boyfriend."

"Charmed." Winter was not and looked at Sun's hand with some discontent. She did shake it, however. She was too polite not to. "I'm aware of your circumstances, though. No one else is, but I am on Weiss' side here."

"Oh. That's cool."

"Yes…" Winter's eyes closed, as if she were pained. "It is… `cool`."

"Is father here yet?" Weiss asked, hoping to draw attention away from Sun. She couldn't believe he was embarrassing her already.

Winter nodded. "Walk with me. Your bags will be delivered down to the Cove." She led the two of them away from the aircraft, or more specifically any ears that might overhear them. There was a black limo waiting nearby and Winter bid them enter. Weiss did so without issue, but Sun had that wide-eyed look of surprise and couldn't stop poking and prodding at various things. There was a screen divider between the driver and they, and Winter spoke once more.

"He is down in the Cove, being entertained by the Metelia family. I've already been introduced, though I expect you'll need to sit through the same. I met this Azure. Father immediately commented that he has a daughter the boy's age. He was not subtle."

Weiss grimaced. "Well, he'll find _this_ an unpleasant surprise then."

"I expect so. You've chosen an interesting route, sister. Any man or even woman would have done, but to pick a faunus specifically? Father will be furious."

"It wasn't an intentional choice. There weren't many optio-"

"Oh wow!" Sun crowed. "Hey Weiss, look. It has a mini fridge in the armrest!"

"Yes, Sun. I know." Weiss rolled her eyes.

"You want a soda?"

"I'll be- Actually, yes, I would. Grape." Sun grinned, fished in the mini fridge and tossed her an ice-cold can. "Thank you." She cracked it open and took a quick drink. "As I was saying, Sun was not my first choice so much as my only choice. He knows what he's up against."

"Does he?" Winter asked. She addressed the question to Sun and fixed him with her icy gaze. "This is no game and Weiss' reputation will rely on your ability to control yourself. You will not do anything to complicate matters, I take it."

"We're not like that," Sun and Weiss answered as one. Weiss flushed and waved for Sun to continue. "We're friends of a friend," he said. "And I like someone else. I'm helping Weiss out as a favour, and cute as she is, I'm not into her. Or her me."

Cute? Her? Weiss snorted. People had called her many things, including beautiful and refined, but cute had never been among them. Cute things were small, harmless and adorable. Like Ruby, she presumed. Weiss was anything but.

"Are you aware of where you are?" Winter asked. "Amber Cover is a haven for the rich and famous, clientele of a certain calibre. These people have… views." Winter's face darkened. "Views that are at times contentious and which might not look at you favourably."

Sun raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm common, or because I'm a faunus?"

"Yes," Winter replied.

"Ha. Nice one. Yeah, I figured. Doesn't bother me, though."

"Racism does not bother you?" Winter asked. When Sun shrugged, she sighed. "Well, we shall see. I hold no such prejudice myself, and I'm glad to see that Weiss is of the same mind. Father will despise you, however. Not just for your heritage but because by being here, you are getting in the way of his plans for Weiss. Expect harsh treatment."

"He will be polite, but cold," Weiss interrupted, trying to ease Sun into it. "Father still has a reputation to uphold and blatant antagonism won't reflect well on him."

"It's fine, seriously. I'll be okay."

Sun's easy confidence didn't do much for her own. It felt like he wasn't giving this the weight it deserved. Still, there wasn't much she could do to convince him. As the limo pulled in to the front of Amber Cove, Weiss spied her father waiting with three people, two adults and someone their age, at the front entrance.

It was time to bite the bullet.

/-/

Sun had heard a lot about Jacques Schnee and even spotted a few pictures in Mistral, but this was the first time in his life he'd actually _seen_ the man in person. The first thought to cross Sun's mind, amusingly enough, was that this was a man who could do a lot with just his eyes and his eyebrows. It almost made him laugh.

"Father," Weiss greeted, offering a polite nod. Polite to her own Dad. It didn't sit right with Sun. "It is good to see you."

"And you, Weiss," he replied. His moustache – an impressively large and white thing – quivered, but it was almost impossible to see the man's mouth beneath it. Instead, it was all in the eyes. Looking at Weiss, Jacques eyes were calm, and his eyebrows raised, his head leaning back as he looked down his nose at her. Not kind, nor loving, but not antagonistic, either.

No. That was reserved for him. The second Jacques noticed him, the man's head tilted down. His brow pinched, one eyebrow raised, the other low.

"And who is this?"

Weiss looked nervous, understandably so. She swallowed and gestured to him, "This is Sun Wukong, father. He is, we are, courting."

The reaction was immediate. Jacques' features hardened. The adults beside him suddenly looked troubled, while the other teenager – who had hair an odd shade of dark purple – shifted awkwardly. Sun barely paid attention and instead placed one hand on his chest and bowed his head and shoulders towards the older Schnee.

"It's an honour to meet you, sir. Weiss has told me much about you."

Weiss looked like she might faint in relief. What, had she expected him to stalk forward with a grin and stick a hand out like he had her sister? He wasn't an idiot. He'd only done that because he _knew_ it was Weiss' sister and that she was in on the secret. He'd been teasing.

"Interesting." Jacques did not return the greeting. "Odd that my daughter has not told me much about you, nor that you existed."

"I did not think it important, father. You've never asked about my friends or relationship status in the past."

Jacques looked like he wanted to say more, but a cough from the couple next to him delayed that. He scowled instead, offering one final glare – laced with threat – toward Sun. "We shall speak later on this," he said. "First, let me introduce you to our gracious hosts. This is Millennia and Martin Metelia, current owners of Amber Cover. And this is their son, Azure Metelia."

The young man was well-built with tanned skin, purple hair and blue eyes. His teeth sparkled as he smiled and held a hand out towards Weiss. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Schnee. I've been looking forward to it."

Weiss took it with obvious hesitation. "Thank you…"

Before Azure could take it back, Sun stepped in and offered his own, smiling brightly. They might have looked similar, he thought. Both of them stood out, both were lightly muscled and of a similar age, but where Sun was rough and ready, Azure was well-groomed and cut from a richer cloth. Not a hair on his head was out of place, all of it parted to the left and falling to his shoulders.

He couldn't refuse Sun's offer, though, not without looking like a huge bastard. Azure smiled and managed to make it look semi-honest. "Yourself as well. Sun, was it?"

"That's right. Nice to meet you, Azure. You have a nice place here."

"Thank you."

The older woman, Millennia, he thought, held up a hand to her mouth and coughed. "Azure, darling, why don't you show Weiss and her… friend," the emphasis on the word sounded petty, even to him, "to their accommodation. We have more than enough room for an unexpected guest. I'm sure Weiss doesn't want to stand here and listen to Jacques and us talk business when she's just arrived."

"That's a good idea," Jacques agreed. No doubt he was looking to do damage control. "It's already moving on toward midday. Be sure to join us for dinner tonight."

"Until then, take advantage of everything Amber Cove has to offer. Azure, make sure they want for nothing, won't you?"

"Of course, mother." He smiled handsomely. "It's been an honour, Mr Schnee, please excuse me." He looked to the two of them. "If you'll follow me, I'll offer a quick tour and then see you to your lodges. Amber Cover is small and select, but it's easy to get lost if you don't know the way."

Weiss nodded, "That would be appreciated."

If Sun were honest, he was relieved to get out the way of Weiss' dad. She nodded to him and Sun did it too, assuming it was expected. He didn't get a response and the man all but ignored him as expected. Weiss looked nervously towards him. She hid it well, but he assumed she was worried he might get angry and make a scene.

Sun winked back at her and flashed a small grin. Hopefully, it would put her mind at ease.

Azure didn't try and put himself between them as they walked out of the main foyer and into the lobby proper. He led from the front, half-turned so he could speak to them both but obviously addressing Weiss more than he did Sun.

"This is the main building and lobby," he explained. "If you ever need anything and I'm not around, you can ask any member of staff, or you can call or visit the reception and they'll help. There are main lines here connected to the CCT, so you can call outbound if you need to. There's also a gift shop, a general store, a full gym facility and a pharmacy."

It was pretty swanky. The floor was some kind of tile coloured a deep cream with marble effect running through it, and it had been buffed to a shine. The walls were white and smooth, with wooden pillars that stuck up to support the straw roof. The back wall was completely absent, looking out onto a huge swimming pool with a couple of deck chairs around it. There were some people out of various ages, but not many. Thirty tops. The place was way too expensive to be busy.

"This is the main pool and sunbathing area," Azure said. "There are three restaurants here, along with a buffet and a bar. The bar does food you can eat out here, while the restaurants are more formal. Mr Schnee wants us to meet at that one tonight at seven," he pointed, and Weiss nodded. Azure laughed. "I figured I should let you know. Your father doesn't seem like the type to appreciate tardiness, even if it's justified."

If Azure was expecting a response from Weiss, he must have felt emasculated at her noncommittal grunt. Even Sun felt kind of bad for the guy.

"W-Well, there's also the beach of course. Any of the staircases here lead down to it, and the ocean is safe from Grimm – protected by an electro-dust-net that lays out at the edges of the Cove. It's well marked with flashing buoys on the surface, and you would have to _try_ to get past it. It's perfectly safe and we've never had a Grimm incident here."

"That's interesting," Weiss said. "I apologise if this sounds rude, but I'm somewhat tired from my flight and would like to freshen up. Could you show us where we will be staying?"

"Absolutely! Follow me." Azure took a left, away from the beach and out onto a wooden platform that led around in a gentle curve, out over the ocean. The edges were lined with thin poles with rope strung between them, creating a weak barrier against anyone falling off the side. They'd have only hit soft sand or water if they did.

Sun couldn't quite help the impressed whistle he made when they came out over the shallows. They were actually going to be living suspended over the ocean? That was pretty cool.

Azure heard the sound and regarded Sun, and without enmity for once. "It's impressive, isn't it?" If he sounded boastful, Sun figured he deserved it. His family _had_ made this. "The view is spectacular out here, and the sea air is good for the complexion. Working the supports to balance the lodges was a difficult task, but we had the best architects Mistral work on it."

"Yeah. It looks nice."

They were led right to the end of the pier, to the final few houses – or whatever they were called when they were on stilts over water. It was made entirely of wood, but with a certain flair to it. Thin walls, a curved roof and wide, open windows. It wasn't big enough to be a house in itself and probably contained just the barest of stuff, like a bedroom, bathroom and the like, but it was somehow a lot more enticing than a cramped room in a hotel.

"This is yours," Azure said to Weiss. "It's been newly fit for you. Your sister is just next door," he nodded to the lodge on the same side of the pier but one along. "If you'll follow me, Sun, I can find an empty one for you to-"

"That won't be necessary," Weiss interrupted.

"E-Excuse me?"

"Sun is my boyfriend. We've been together for a few months now and we're fine with this situation. I'd feel stranger sleeping alone." Weiss stepped up to his side and leaned against him. It didn't feel natural and Sun had to place a little more weight on his left side to support her, but Azure was probably too surprised to notice. To be fair, Sun was too.

"I see. I didn't want to assume-" Azure paused, took a deep breath, and let it go. "Well, that's fine, I suppose. I'll just…" He hesitated, unsure what to say. "I suppose I will see you tonight for dinner. Please enjoy your stay at Amber Cove and rest assured _both_ of you have been noted by our staff. All your expenses are covered by the Cove." He bowed once, turned and hurried away. He didn't look back.

"You were kinda cold to him," Sun said.

"Better he realises my lack of interest sooner rather than later," Weiss replied, pushing off him and toward the door. It wasn't locked, but there was a deadbolt on the inside. Weiss pushed in and then stopped in the doorway when he didn't follow. "Well, are you coming in or not? We'll both be living here for the week."

"Yeah, I guess." Sun sighed and moved inside, taking the door and closing it behind him. The interior was as nice as the out, and a lot more open than expected. There were really only two rooms, what he expected was a bathroom, and the main room itself. The main room had a large, king-sized bed in the centre, a couch off to one side and a dresser with a chair in front of it. There was a cupboard built into the wall – a walk-in wardrobe next to it – and a glass door leading out to a balcony at the back, with a hazy curtain pulled shut over it. "It's nice," he said.

"It'll do," Weiss replied.

Sheesh. High maintenance or what? Their bags hadn't been delivered yet, but he figured that would be done before they got back from dinner. He wasn't much looking forward to that, but there was still a couple of hours before they had to go. Weiss sat on the end of the bed and Sun decided to address the Ursa in the room.

"You sure you're okay sharing a room with me?"

"No, not really. But we can't very well have separate lodges when we're supposed to be together." Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose and drew a deep breath. "It will be fine. No different to team members sharing a room."

They were both on single-gender teams, Sun didn't point out. It felt a petty argument, and if someone like Jaune could handle sharing a room with two cute girls and not go mad, the two of them could handle a much larger room between them.

"I'll sleep on the couch," Sun said.

"No." Weiss' eyes closed. "We shall sleep together."

Sun's mouth slowly fell open. Weiss noticed and immediately went bright red.

"Not like _that_! You- argh! I mean that this bed is clearly big enough for the two of us and room service _will_ notice if you start to sleep on the couch. Who do you think they will go to with that information?"

Weiss reached over on the bed to collect the many pillows assorted there, and Sun politely looked away. She hadn't realised that by crawling on the bed, she'd basically let her skirt ride up and expose her rear end to him. He wasn't going to comment or look and fixed his eyes on the ceiling.

"There," she said, and when he looked down he was relieved to see she was kneeling once more and dusting her hands together. With the cushions on the bed – and there had been _way_ too many – she'd made something akin to a line cutting the thing in two. "This line will not be crossed by either of us. For all intents and purposes, we have _two_ single beds here. They just so happen to be closer than either of us is used to."

"Alright. I can handle it." Either side was bigger than the single beds in Beacon. It wouldn't be a cramped experience. "Thanks, I guess. Wasn't looking forward to the couch."

"It's nothing. I…" Weiss sighed. "I know this isn't easy for you. I know you're doing this for me, even if Blake _is_ offering you a date at the end of it. I don't want to make this any harder than it has to be. For either of us."

She looked vulnerable. Or, well, not _vulnerable_ , but maybe a little uncertain for once.

Sun sighed. "It's fine, Weiss. Going on an all expenses paid holiday with a cute girl is hardly the most torturous moment of my life." He grinned widely and wriggled his eyebrows at her. " _Somehow_ , I think I'll survive."

His attempt to cheer her up worked. Weiss snorted. "Very droll. Well, I'll not comment on it then. Do you mind if I take a shower?"

"Sure thing." Sun hoisted his carry-on luggage. "I'll pack some of my stuff away."

/-/

Weiss stood in the shower and let the warm water wash over her pale skin. Despite the construction of much of Amber Cove being wood and straw, she was privately thankful that the bathroom was tiled floor, walls and ceiling. Sometimes a theme had to be sacrificed for comfort and hygiene. Through the thin wall, she could hear Sun moving about, opening the occasional draw and pacing through the room. It was expected, but Weiss wasn't sure how she felt about it.

There was a certain awkwardness despite what she'd said about teams back in Beacon. Sure, Team RWBY were all girls, but Weiss thought she would have been able to cope in Team JNPR's situation, but maybe it was worse _because_ it was just the two of them here. Four, was awkward but in a cramped kind of way. Two people in a room had connotations. Connotations she _wanted_ to portray, but connotations nonetheless.

Sun had done well, Weiss had to admit. Better than she'd thought he would, and now she felt somewhat the heel for having had such low expectations of him. The meeting with Winter had filled her head with nightmares over how he might act around her father, but he'd been reserved and quiet, speaking only when spoken to.

To be fair, it was hard not to see the antagonism her father had for Sun, and maybe he was just reacting to that. Sun was outgoing, but obviously no idiot. He was the leader of his team, after all, and while Weiss personally thought Neptune carried the image of team leader better, her experiences with Ruby had shown that appearance wasn't everything.

It didn't make their current living arrangements any less awkward, though.

Well, she couldn't hide away from it for much longer. There were hours still until they were expected to present themselves for dinner, and Weiss didn't much fancy running into Azure or his parents by wandering around the resort on her own. Like it or not, she'd have to spend all her time with Sun, if only to avoid suspicion. Climbing out of the shower, Weiss wrapped a fluffy white towel around herself and picked through her small bag.

Amber Cove was a resort, which meant her usual outfit would raise a few eyebrows. She fished out a swimsuit instead, a one-piece, full-body thing with an exposed back. It was coloured a mid-blue with a white lining around the edges. She idly wondered if Yang would be amazed she wasn't wearing someone completely white. Yang would be better here, Weiss thought with a sigh. She'd be out in a bikini rounding people up to play volleyball or drinking at the bar.

Stepping out of the shower, Weiss padded on bare feet into the main room, peeking around for Sun. She couldn't see him for a moment but noticed a faint breeze. The patio window was open, and Sun's figure could be seen shadowed beyond the curtains. He was out on the deck outside. Taking a deep breath to steel her nerves, Weiss pushed forward and tugged the curtain back, stepping out onto the wooden deck. It was as wide as the building itself and jutted out a good two or three metres, providing room for deck chairs, a table and even an umbrella should they wish it. There was a wooden barrier around it all and Sun was leaning on it, arms crossed atop the wood.

He'd gotten changed while she was in the shower and now wore a pair of burgundy swimming shorts and nothing more. His tail swayed from a hole cut in the back, and there had to be some trick to the fabric there, for it could have been risqué indeed, but little flaps of cloth prevented any fashion errors.

Sun's back was intricately muscled and oddly attention-grabbing. Maybe it was his current post that caused his shoulder blades to flex, but there wasn't an ounce of fat to his frame and she imagined she could map out the movements of each muscle as he moved. No doubt the girls on the beach would enjoy the eye-candy. Even if Weiss preferred more lean and smooth men, she would be a liar to say she didn't take a good look at him. Sun _was_ handsome and looked after his body like any good huntsman should.

He heard her come out onto the deck and turned. "Hey Weiss." His eyes roamed over her body. Weiss shifted uncertainly but didn't try and hide away. To her relief, his attention was short, and he soon focused on her face once more. He smiled. "You look great. You seen the view from here? It's amazing."

Grateful for the change in subject, Weiss stepped up to the railing and joined him. The water was a beautiful turquoise and clear enough to see down to the sand on the seabed, which had been woven into wavy patterns by the current. There were fish swimming about the struts supporting their accommodation, likely feeding on the plankton and coral that had taken advantage and made the struts their home. The sunlight danced across the surface of the water, catching the occasional ripple or wave to make it shimmer. The view carried on for quite the distance, letting them see both the beach, one side of cove's mountain face and out towards the horizon.

"The view is quite stunning. I should probably take some pictures of it."

"For your team?"

"Hmm. They asked me to call when I get a chance, too."

"Yeah. Same." Sun looked back out over the ocean and laughed. "I guess our teams aren't so different, huh? You think Yang is going to complain that she wasn't invited?"

Weiss chuckled. "Almost certainly."

"Neptune would do well here. He likes this kind of thing, but he'd probably freak at having to sleep out over the open water. Scarlet loves it. He'd be out swimming even now. He'd complain about it messing with his hair, though. I figure Sage would be off by the bar, loading up on snacks."

Just like hers. "Well, remember that this is business. We're not here to have fun or take a holiday. We're not here by _choice_ at all."

Sun turned to look her way. "Doesn't mean we can't have fun, though."

"It does for me." Weiss sighed and stood up again, turning away.

"Hey. come on." Sun laid a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "I get that this isn't what either of us wanted, but it's gonna be a tough enough week as it is without you being a party pooper."

"Excuse me? I am not a… a _party pooper_. I'm simply explaining the situation. We're here for work and to get my father of my back. Having fun is not a part of the equation."

"We're not even meant to do anything until seven, and you can't go back to the lobby to call your team because your Dad and the others might be there." Sun had a point, as much as she hated to admit it. "What's the plan, then? Brood inside?"

"I'm not brooding. A Schnee does not brood."

"Looks like it to me, Ice Queen."

"Don't call me that!" She shook his hand off her shoulder. "I _hate_ that stupid title."

"Sorry, sorry. You need to lighten up, though. And I think I know just the way…"

It was the tone of his voice that clued her off. Too much like Yang, _far_ too much like Yang. Weiss turned, already nervous, "Sun, what are-"

Too late. Sun caught her from behind and scooped her up. Weiss yelped and instinctively grabbed on with both arms to catch herself, instead catching his neck and with her arms wrapped around his shoulders. He had her in his arms, the palm of on hand on her exposed back, his other under her bare thighs.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing!?" Weiss hissed. "L-Let go of me, you oaf!"

"All work and no play makes Weiss a dull girl," Sun teased, grinning like a loon. "I think you need to cool off a little."

She caught on immediately. "No. Don't you dare. Do not even _think_ about-" Sun strode forward, not encumbered by her weight in the slightest. He stepped up onto a deckchair, and then again onto the railing. "Sun, no!" she gasped. "Don't do it. I will make you regret it if you do!"

"That's a risk I'll take."

"Sun. Sun, no!" He leapt forward, into the air. Weiss shrieked, arms still around his neck as her legs kicked in the air. "SUUUUNNNN!"

"Yeahhhhh!"

They hit the water hard. Sun broke the surface first, which made Weiss' landing a lot easier, but she was still unprepared for the cold water and gasped. He let go of her as they went down, and she kicked away, glaring down at his smug face as she swam her way back up to the surface. She broke the surface with a gasp and started treading water. Sun came up a second later with a laugh.

"You… You…" She didn't have the words. She didn't have the _tools_ to show her displeasure either. Robbed of both, Weiss splashed some water at the bastard. It didn't have the desired effect and he laughed.

"See? That's better." He swam a lazy circle around her. "Come on, the water's great once you get used to it. Relax a little and let- urpbl!" Sun, having closed his eyes as he swam, had let his guard down and Weiss pounced, kicking up out the water and landing on top of him with both hands on his chest, pushing him under. The sound of his witticisms cutting into bubbles was the most satisfying thing she'd heard all day.

The loud and meaningful cough behind and above her was not.

Startled, Weiss looked up, still kicking water but letting Sun go. He floated back to the surface and spat sea water out of his mouth. Weiss barely noticed. She stared in horror at the decking behind her, which was their neighbour's. Winter stood there, one hand on the railing, other holding a cocktail. A single eyebrow was raised as she watched them.

"I see the two of you are enjoying one another's company."

"W-Winter. I-It's not what it looks like."

"I'm sure." Winter sipped her drink and turned away. Her swimsuit was somehow more elegant, as was everything her sister wore, and she had a see-through shawl with a white and blue flower pattern on it around her waist. "I'll leave the two of you to your fun. Make sure to be responsible." Winter stepped out of view, pulling the glass door shut behind her.

Weiss sank into the water, keeping only her nose and eyes above. Her face was bright red, the colour seeping down to her shoulders.

Behind her, Sun – _the absolute_ _scoundrel_ – wouldn't stop laughing.

* * *

 **Hey, it's crack but I can ship it. Sun seems, to me, the perfect person to draw Weiss out of her shell and force a little fun into her timetable, whether she likes it or not. As much as I like Jaune as a protagonist because of how versatile he is, I don't think he'd be great boyfriend material for Weiss. Or any of the girls, really. Maybe Ruby as a soft and easy option, but that's it. No offence to the guy. People say I hate Sun and bully him, but he's actually one of my favourite male characters. Sure, there aren't many, but he's head and shoulders above Oscar.**

 **I don't normally comment on reviews but, well, I couldn't resist on this one:**

"This should have a companion fic where Blake and Jaune hook up at the same time"

 **Lol… I think I would be** _ **crucified**_ **if I wrote another Knightshade story. I literally have a fic where Blake and Jaune's interactions are limited to her being rude, him mistrusting her and then Blake trying to** _ **attack him**_ **, and some people are already calling the Knightshade.**

 **xD**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 23** **rd** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	3. Chapter 3

**IMPORTANT NOTICE**

 **As some may have heard, ff net has faced something of a hack. Barring specifics, it's a java exploit that effects PROFILE PAGES and can make yours change, change your password and where your "forgot password" email goes, essentially locking your account.**

 **It is spread by viewing an infected person's profile, I believe.**

 **Main thing for now is DO NOT go onto people's profiles. Stories are fine, but do NOT click my name or view my profile. I do not believe I am infected, but I don't want YOU to lose your account.**

 **In the event I AM hacked, the likely first you will know of it is that I have not uploaded for a day or two. This WILL be unusual behaviour. If I'm hacked, the first thing I'll do is make a notice on my P a treon – which will be FREE to read. You need not sign up or anything to see it. This will include where to go to read chapters, as I'll find somewhere else to post and update.**

 **I'll likely also make a notice on Reddit for it, but if you're ever in doubt, check my P a treon . You don't have to pay, make an account or even view a single ad to check if I've made an announcement, and I'll continue my stories even I am hacked.**

 **Of course, we can all hope this is unnecessary, and the site admins fix this problem. I just want you all to know, so that you don't miss out.**

* * *

 **Also, not sure it's safe for me to change cover images atm, so Terkali's image will be shown next chapter. Sorry for that, Terakali. Didn't expect a site like this to be hacked =P**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Minnie2

 **Chapter 3**

* * *

The restaurant they were to meet at was as opulent as the rest of the resort, with what looked to be a floor of solid marble, mahogany chairs with a rich red tablecloth, plush cushions, shining silver cutlery and plates so clean Sun could see his own face in the reflection.

He'd dressed up for the occasion of course, Weiss would have murdered him if he hadn't. He wore cream suit trousers and a white shirt tucked in, the only sign of his faunus heritage being his tail, which he'd tucked into his belt to cause less of a scene. It wasn't comfortable, but then sitting down on solid-backed chairs never was when you had a limb like that.

Weiss had approved the outfit with obvious relief. Again, it was as if she expected him to go in jeans. Cream wasn't usually his colour, but since this was a holiday destination, it would have looked even stranger to come in black or dark blue. He'd left the top two buttons undone, it being hot out even as evening rolled in, and since Azure had done the same – albeit with a rich burgundy shirt and white trousers – Sun figured he was in the clear.

Jacques Schnee had changed little, and certainly didn't look like he'd found any `holiday spirit` while they were gone. The Metelia elders were a little better about it, at least greeting him and Weiss as if they were one entity and not ignoring him entirely. It was still obvious they didn't know what to do about him, as was the older woman's distaste. She turned up her nose at him and fussed over her son, who looked positively mortified, though whether that was at her attitude or the fact he was being pampered, Sun wasn't sure. Winter and Weiss were in similar dresses, white edged with silver and blue respectively.

Sun made sure to shake hands firmly with anyone who would – Jacques Schnee refused with an air indifference, as did Millennia Metelia, but her husband Martin, and Azure, both did. He also drew out Weiss' chair for her, allowing her to sit before he lifted the chair – Weiss with it – and slipped it back into place. All without a scrape or sound.

"Thank you for coming, Weiss," Millennia said. She ignored him entirely. "It's almost nostalgic sitting here, eating, realising that soon this won't belong to us at all. I dare say it's enough to make me spill a tear."

"The Metelia family will always be welcome here," Jacques said gruffly. "Part of the negotiations is a promise of that. I've also promised to take young Azure on as Manager of the resort."

"Oh, I know. You've been absolutely wonderful, Jacques."

Weiss rolled her eyes, though Sun refrained from doing the same. It was almost ironic how she told him not to make a scene and then did that, but truth was, she could get away with it. No one here could do anything to her. Him? Well, he was being watched.

And the first test came with the menu. A pretty waitress delivered it, and Sun passed his on to Weiss before taking one for himself. As he did so, he caught Jacques' smug smile. Cracking the menu open, he soon discovered why.

 _I don't recognise any of this._

The menu read more like the synopsis of a book than it did descriptions of food. It wasn't `Steak with potato`. Nothing that simple. Instead, he was faced with some type of fish he'd never heard of `elegantly balanced` on a `bed` of risotto, `nestled` with this, that or the other with a `delicate touch` of some sauce that read more like a wine than anything else.

The rest were all the same – becoming more incomprehensible and more pretentious as they went on. Oh, and there wasn't a main and starter. Oh no. There weren't even three courses. There were _nine_ courses. Nine!

Who needed that much food?

"Are you ready to order your first course?"

"Of course," Jacques said. He leaned forward. "Ah, Sun, was it? As our guest of honour, why don't you order first?"

"I'd hate to be rude."

"No. I insist."

Weiss looked worried. Worried and upset. She was half a second from snapping out at her father, making a scene. Though Sun knew he'd pay for it later, he leant his knee against hers under the table. She stiffened, giving him the chance to cut in.

"Well, that's quite the honour. Can I have the carpaccio of Mistralian long-fin Tussar with avocado crème fraiche."

The waitress blinked, surprised. Weiss did, too, and it was that which really made Sun grin. Well, that and the impressive scowl on Jacques Schnee's face. The waitress jotted the order down and turned to take Weiss' order, along with the others. Sun could see the question in her eyes. She was impressed.

She probably shouldn't have been. In truth, he had no idea what he'd ordered. Fish of some kind, but not much else. He'd come from Vacuo, though, where food was scarce, and you didn't have the luxury to be picky. He could eat anything with a straight face.

"A selection of your finest wines as well," Jacques said.

"Is that wise, father?" Winter asked. "Weiss is underage."

"Nonsense. This is a holiday, a time to celebrate, and your mother isn't here, so no need to hold back on her account."

Weiss bristled at that but said nothing.

The waitress came back with a trolley, atop which were at least _twenty_ bottles of wine in various colours and vintages. The blood all but drained from Sun's face, not at the prospect of drinking so much – such would be impossible, even for the _heaviest_ drinker – but that he might be tested on it. His knowledge of wine boiled down to red and white. Nothing more.

Luckily, Jacques either didn't want to risk it or had something else in mind. He chose three reds and a white, names Sun didn't recognise, but no doubt inordinately expensive. The waitress uncorked the first and poured but the smallest amount for Jacques, who swirled it around his glass and sniffed at it.

Derisively, he handed it back.

 _There was nothing wrong with that,_ Sun thought, watching as the waitress flinched, apologised and hurried to open a different bottle. The Metelia parents frowned the whole time.

The second glass, Jacques accepted. "It'll do," he said, sipping. More glasses were prepared for each of them, and a larger amount poured. Weiss didn't reach for hers, so Sun did the same, holding back.

"A toast," Jacques said, lifting his glass. "To a fruitful business deal and a brighter future."

"To a brighter future," everyone echoed, Sun included.

Following Weiss' lead, he drank the wine. Soft, fruity – a little _heavier_ than he expected, not sweet but almost thick. It was alright. He'd had better. _Doubt I've had as expensive, but this isn't worth however much it cost._

"So, Weiss," Azure spoke, earning a smile from his mother, "What is it like training to be a huntress?"

"It is exhausting but also satisfying."

"Beacon, isn't it? I hear the Vytal Festival is going to be held there. Are you going to compete?"

"If our team qualifies, yes."

"Weiss is not the leader of her team, but she is the brains behind it," Jacques smoothly interrupted. "Though I've little idea what Ozpin was thinking, putting a fifteen-year-old girl without a _hint_ of leadership ability above a Schnee."

"Oh, people like him will play their games," Martin Metelia said. "Perhaps it's jealousy."

"You should complain, dear," Millennia said.

"My team leader is capable and has my respect," Weiss bit back, surprising the husband and wife duo. "Though young, she works hard and always listens to advice before making any decision. I am proud to count her as a teammate."

Jacques frowned, while the two Metelia did the same.

Azure, however, nodded quickly, "It sounds like you respect her. I'm sure she deserves it."

Weiss nodded. "She does."

Sheesh, weren't they supposed to be hazing him? Sun leaned back and sipped his wine some more. Talking smack about Ruby like that was always something that got on Weiss' nerves, he could have told them that. Her old man should have known better, though Sun couldn't say he was surprised Jacques of all people didn't.

On the other hand, Sun wasn't sure _what_ to think about Azure. The guy was polite, but he couldn't make his intentions any clearer. Fake or not, no man should leer at another guy's date like that. Not when Weiss didn't look interested and had claimed they were already together.

Was it another attempt to make him angry? Get him to react?

The arrival of the first course saved him the effort. The fish was there, though there was no sign of the Carpaccio – whatever that was. The food was thinly sliced and served with a wealth of fruit and vegetables Sun recognised, but only distantly.

Waiting for everyone else to be served, Sun realised he was the centre of attention yet again. The reason this time? The cutlery. Three spoons, three knives and three forks, all in different shapes and sizes. No one else moved, no doubt reluctant to give the game away. If he looked to Weiss for help, it would be just as bad.

But if they thought Weiss an idiot, they were sorely mistaken. Sun reached forward and selected the correct knife and fork, earning a relieved nod from Winter and a grunt from the others. Only Azure's mother looked obvious in her frustration.

Really, had they not thought Weiss would know this was coming? She'd practically _driven_ correct etiquette into his head for the two hours before this stupid thing. Once she'd calmed down from being tossed into the ocean, that was. He was glad she had, or this whole thing might have been a real mess.

As it was, the others at the table looked disappointed to have their fun ruined. The `laugh and point at the commoner` train had yet to leave the station, mostly thanks to Weiss.

A few more courses passed in quick succession. Each course itself was punishingly small, more like an appetizer in its own right than a proper meal. No wonder rich people needed nine, they'd forgotten that `adequate portion size` really was.

Naturally, the conversation during the meal focused mostly around Weiss, Winter and Jacques. Not a single person asked _him_ anything.

"What do you intend to do after Beacon, Weiss?"

"I'm not yet sure. I wouldn't want to see my hard training go to waste and would like to support my team for some time."

"Oh, but being a huntress sounds awfully dangerous."

"I disagree. I think being a defenceless civilian in our world is far more dangerous."

Sun snorted at that. Jacques glowered his way and he hid his smile in his fist. Weiss had claws there, ouch. Sun hadn't ever heard her talk like that, not even to Jaune when he kept asking her out. She'd either been holding back or taking pity on the poor guy.

None such for these people.

"What about raising a family?"

"I'll consider that when the time comes." Weiss waited for Jacques to take a drink before she said, "Sun and I haven't talked about children yet."

Jacques coughed and choked on his drink, with Winter quick to pat his back – though with a disturbing lack of concern. Sun might have choked too, had it not been for Weiss sparing him the chance and saying it when he hadn't been drinking.

Turning, she smiled coyly at him. "Isn't that right?"

"Yeah." He recovered quickly and leaned into her, just enough so their shoulders touched. "We're still in school. It's not the right time to think about something like that."

Not that he thought he'd ever be thinking of it at all. Well, he wasn't now either, just going through the motions. Sun smiled at Weiss and pretended not to notice the sour look on the faces of the others around the table. Weiss really was pretty when she smiled, but it looked fake to him. Likely because it was.

The last few courses came and went, with a glass of wine between each. Weiss handled her alcohol well, better than he was honestly. It wasn't so much the quantity as the variety. Jacques made sure they had a _different_ drink each time, mixing and matching.

All the reds tasted the same to Sun, while the white tasted like urine – or what he imagined urine tasted like. It would have been easier if the meals were heavier, to offset the drink, but each course came with more artistic flair than substance.

"We should retire to the poolside veranda," Millennia suggested the moment the desserts were done. "The view is spectacular, and it'll give us time to talk and share stories."

More?

Sun's face almost fell.

"I think I need to rest," Weiss said. "I don't feel so well."

"Weiss-" Jacques began.

Weiss hiccuped loudly. Her hand leapt to her mouth, covering it. The sound was enough to startle not just her, but Jacques too. Now that Sun looked, Weiss _was_ swaying a little.

"I warned you about the wine," Winter remarked.

"She _is_ rather petite," Martin Metelia said.

"Yes." Jacques sighed and closed his eyes. "I suppose I should not judge you by your mother's standards, and that would be a good thing. Very well, you are excused."

"T-Thank you, father." Weiss placed a hand on her chair and made to push herself up. She almost fell, forcing Sun to leap up and catch her, one arm under her elbow, the other grasping her other hand.

He'd moved with huntsman speed and reflexes, which meant the Metelia family flinched.

"Weiss?" Sun asked. When she didn't answer, he looked back to the others. "I should get her back to our room. Sorry for the interruption."

"Yes, yes." Jacques waved him away. "Go. Try not to make a scene, Weiss."

"Yes, father," she muttered. "And I'm sorry."

"Go!"

/-/

Weiss kept her eyes half-closed as Sun helped her out of the restaurant and precariously down a wooden flight of steps, onto the tiled area surrounding the main pool. The night was both warm and cool, which was odd, but it was more than the breeze was cold and the air hot. Sun's arm around her waist was warm, too, especially on her exposed back. She could feel the calluses on his fingers, signs of hard work and huntsman training. Though no man had ever really touched her so casually as for her to have a preference in the first place, Weiss was fairly sure she would expect calluses like that.

He was firm and gentlemanly about helping her. Clumsy, at least in trying to take too much of her weight on himself, but earnest about it. With one arm around her waist, his other held her hand, keeping her upright as they navigated around the deckchairs, some empty, some with late-night moon bathers with brightly coloured cocktails. Many looked their way.

"Ignore them," Sun whispered.

"Mhmm…"

Eventually, Sun managed to get her to the wooden jetty, where a fresh problem was revealed. The wooden slats, though tightly laced together, had cracks between them, between any of which her heels would surely snag.

Sun stepped in front of her and bent over, holding his hands out wide. "Climb on. I'll give you a lift."

"You _must_ be joking." With a snort, Weiss flicked her head, bent over and unhooked her shoes, dangling them from one hand with a raised eyebrow as she stood barefoot, balanced and smirking.

Sun's mouth fell open. "Wait, you were _pretending_ to be drunk?"

Weiss' eyebrow rose higher. "You believed it?"

"Yes!"

"Hm. I must be a better actor than I realised." With a little laugh, she stepped past him, resisting the urge to reach out and place a finger under his chin to push it shut. Such would have been too familiar, stretching the boundaries of what they really were. Besides, they were out of sight of her father now. There was no need to continue the charade. Weiss' bare feet padded across the planks, though Sun was quick to catch up, hooking both hands behind his head as he walked.

"You really had me there. I thought you were going to be sick."

"So did father, and that's all that matters."

Sun hummed. "Won't that get you in trouble?"

"No." Weiss noticed Sun's confusion. He appeared genuinely concerned, which she appreciated, but it wasn't needed here. "He will be disappointed, but there isn't much he can do," she explained. "It was he who ordered the wine, as a way to try and embarrass you, no less."

"Yeah, I figured that one out."

"As such, it's more his fault it affected me. If he made me stay, he'd look unreasonable."

"And you don't mind those people thinking you'd be ill in public?"

"Did _you_ not mind when they all but ignored you time and time again?"

"Ah." Sun looked away. He didn't frown, but his expression was… complicated. "I mostly ignored it."

"The same for myself. They can think of me what they want. I doubt it will be worse than what they think already."

"That you're sleeping with a faunus?"

Weiss' cheeks flushed. She shot him a stern look, but Sun's face was calm. He hadn't been teasing her. "Yes," she admitted. "It's foolish, I know."

"Nah, it's fine. Being a faunus, you get used to that."

"You shouldn't have to."

"We shouldn't," he agreed, "But we do. Besides, it's not _your_ fault they decided to act like assholes. Don't let it get you down."

He was right, of course. Weiss had promised to try and be better for Blake's sake, and she liked to think she was doing a good job. What problems she did have with Sun were with his attitude, not his heritage.

And honestly, she wasn't sure why those things had bothered her at all. He'd always looked so reckless and silly, but he hadn't acted it tonight. She watched him curiously from the corner of one eye. Sun wore the smart outfit well, especially with his arms raised like that. It stretched his muscles to fill out the shirt.

"You were able to hold your own tonight."

"Hm?" Sun glanced down at her and laughed. "Yeah, because you helped me. I'd have been lost at all the different forks and spoons if you hadn't old me which was which beforehand."

"Most people are. I could hardly expect you to know." And really, it was petty for her father to try and catch him out on that. Incredibly petty. "But I meant more of your… personality." She tried to find a way to phrase it without insulting him. "I expected you to have more trouble. This doesn't strike me as your kind of… ah, forte."

"Because of what I'm normally like?"

Weiss shrugged, but since Sun didn't seem upset, said, "Yes."

"You wouldn't be wrong in thinking it. I mean, this is about as far from what I normally do that you can get. But I'm still team leader, you know? Vacuo can be pretty chill, but there's formal stuff there. I've had to represent the team once or twice and sometimes you need to be able to be a little more formal." Sun winked at her. "Neptune gave me a hand."

With a laugh, Weiss closed her eyes. "Well, I'll have to thank him for it."

"You could thank him by going to the dance with him."

"Is that your angle?" Weiss asked, stepping up to open the door to their lodge. Once inside, she let her heels fall to the floor with a relieved sigh.

Sun followed, closing the door and laughing a little. "Nah. I agreed to do this to help you-"

"And for a date with Blake," she reminded him. To her amusement, he blushed.

"Okay. Yeah, and that. But I'd not have agreed for a total stranger, even if Blake _did_ offer. I wouldn't have done it for someone I didn't trust."

"You trust me? I hardly think we know one another well enough."

"We probably don't," he admitted, "But I didn't mean, like, deep emotional bonds of trust. Just that I know you enough to trust you're not some crazy psycho in disguise. You probably had to be the same, right? You wouldn't trust just _any guy_ to do this."

"No. I suppose not. Though I wouldn't call us friends…"

"Acquaintances," he said. "It's still closer than strangers, though."

"I guess it is."

"As for Nep, he never asked for anything. But I figured I could at least be a good pal and tell you how awesome of a guy he is."

Sun sat on the bed and loosened some buttons. It was an oddly intimate gesture, which Weiss thought was downright stupid. The guy _literally_ walked around with his shirt open most of the time. How were four buttons opened and a little bit of chest _more_ intimate?

"Are you expecting me to do the same for Blake?" she asked.

"Don't think you need to. I'm already head over heels." Sun stood suddenly. "Do you need me to stay in the bathroom while you change?"

"It's fine. I'll change in there."

Having already had a shower before they went out, Weiss simply pulled her hair loose, washed her face and brushed her teeth. She was grateful for the full-length satin pyjamas she'd thought to bring. She normally slept in her gown, but something about sharing a bed with a man while wearing that felt too risqué for her.

When she came back out, Sun had already changed – and she had to admit to some relief that he, too, had gone for both pyjama bottoms and top. It was probably for the same reason, since she refused to believe that a guy who walked around essentially topless would sleep with one on. He shimmied past her to the bathroom, and the faucet was soon running.

Now came the precarious sleeping arrangements.

 _Not like you haven't slept in public before, Weiss. The day before initiation was a fine example._

Though again, sleeping in the same room as some guys and sleeping in the same bed was different. Hearing Sun finish in the bathroom, she quickly picked the left side and shuffled under the blankets, drawing them up to her neck.

"Ah, that's better." Sun came out stretching both hands. His white top rode up a little, exposing his firm abs. "Heh, you already picked your side, huh? Fine, fine. I see how it is."

Despite his blasé attitude, Sun dithered for a minute or two before coming to bed. Weiss wasn't sure if that embarrassed her more or not. Somehow, if he'd acted like it was no big deal, she thought it might have been easier. Eventually, he did slip in beside her, however. The bed was huge, big enough for all of Team RWBY assuming Yang didn't start kicking in her sleep. With the wall of cushions between them, Weiss couldn't even _see_ Sun.

But as the lights went out, sleep was the last thing on her mind. The moonlight from outside shone through the thin curtains, bathing the room in a blue glow. Weiss swallowed. It sounded loud to hear ears, as did the tiny _crinkle_ of the mattress as Sun shifted onto his side.

"Why do you like Blake?" she suddenly asked.

"Huh? What?"

Oh dear, that came out not at all like she meant it to. "You said you were head over heels for her," Weiss said. "As her friend and teammate, I just wanted to know why."

"You don't approve?"

"I don't know. It's not really my place to approve or not, but you've been a gentleman to her thus far. I wouldn't have any complaints." Not unless Blake tried to bring things into the dorm, in which cases there _would_ be complaints. Many loud complaints. "I'm just… curious, I suppose."

"Wanting to look out for her?"

"Maybe. I don't _think_ you'd do anything bad to her-"

"Nah, I get it. I think I'd be the same with Nep, you know? He can look out for himself, but that doesn't mean I won't stick up for him." He understood. Weiss was grateful. "As for Blake, well… it's complicated, you know?"

"Not really."

"Ah, you're not making it easy. Uh. Okay, I'll admit there's some physical attraction there. Hope that doesn't make me look like a creep."

"It doesn't," Weiss said. "As long as it's not your only reason."

"It's not. The first time I met Blake, I liked the look of her, but it's not like I knew anything about her. The second time, she was almost in tears. Real broken up. It was after your argument," he said. Weiss' eyes closed, and she let out a sigh. "She got better, so no need to feel bad, but she looked like she was going to do something reckless. I didn't want to leave her alone for that."

"You didn't exactly think wrong."

"Ha, yeah. Tell me about it. Anyway, I was more looking out for her because of sympathy than that I liked her. At least at that point. I think over time it was her focus that caught me. She's just so… determined. Like, most people don't know what they want from life, but she does. I guess I'm a nit of a drifter myself, so that appealed to me."

"Hm…"

"And I know she has her faults. I mean, anything and everything related to the White Fang is the first fault, especially when she drops everything to focus on them."

"Tell me about it," Weiss groaned.

"But everyone has faults. That's normal."

"True."

"So far, I like the good parts more than the bad," Sun said. "And I guess the more time I spend around her, the more I like other things. She's intelligent, independent, not at all afraid to speak her mind."

All of those things could have applied to her too, Weiss thought. "I think I understand."

"Yeah?" Sun rolled over. She couldn't see his face, but she could feel him facing her through the pillows. "Do I pass the test, then?"

"It was hardly a test. I can't tell Blake who to date or not."

"No, but you can speak well of me."

"Well, perhaps if you act well, I will."

"Aren't I now?"

"You are," she admitted. "So far, I've nothing bad to say. Other than your juvenile efforts in throwing me off a balcony!"

"Hey, I jumped. And I broke your fall."

"Hmph."

Sun laughed, and although she wouldn't admit it, Weiss felt her frown relax as well. She'd still elbow him in the face if he tried that again, but Sun honestly wasn't as bad as she'd thought he would be. Far better than she'd expected, in fact.

"So, if I had to get my secrets out, does that mean I can ask what you think of Neptune?"

Weiss bit her lip. "It depends on what you want to ask."

"That's fair." Sun took a deep breath and thought on the question. Outside, a fish splashed in the water. "Just tell me, does he have a chance?"

"Huh?"

"Does Neptune have a chance with you," Sun asked again. "I know he comes off as a flirt, but he's a pretty sensitive guy. I'm not saying he's in love with you, not like I am with Blake, but he's interested. I just don't want him to get hurt if you're not interested."

The question surprised her, but Sun's concern surprised her more. "He has a chance," she said. "I… I won't pretend it's anything like what you feel for Blake, but I _am_ willing to give him a chance. I can't promise anything, but…"

"Nah, that's enough." Sun sounded pleased. "I just wanted to know if you'd give him that much. I trust Neptune to prove he's worth it."

Weiss laughed. "You sound confident."

"Hey, Neptune is awesome."

"Are you his biggest fan?"

"Of course," he said, surprising her again. "I'm his best bud, after all. Wouldn't you do the same for Ruby?"

"I… I suppose I would." Not that Ruby appeared interested in those kinds of things, thank heavens. She was too focused on her career and weapons.

Still, it spoke well of Sun that he cared so much about Neptune. They were lucky to have one another. Maybe she _could_ give him a little help with Blake. Not enough to push her teammate into something she didn't want, but a few kind words about his behaviour couldn't hurt.

And speaking of behaviour…

"I think I need to apologise, Sun."

"Wh-? What for?"

"For tonight," she explained. "For what happened with my father and the Metelia family."

"Nah, it's fine."

"It really isn't…"

"Okay, it's not," he admitted, and again, she heard him shuffle a little. "But I don't want _you_ to apologise for it. Not when it was _them_ being assholes."

"Father won't apologise…"

"Then that makes him an asshole _and_ petty. Still not your fault. I'm not going to lay blame where it doesn't belong, okay? You've been great. I mean, this is weird, awkward and the like, but you've helped me as best you can. If you say sorry, I'm not going to accept it."

"But I didn't intervene. I could have at least _said_ something."

"And get wound up in their prejudice? It's not worth it. It's not your job to defend me, anyway. They didn't dislike _me_ , Weiss. They disliked the _thought_ of me. They made their minds up before they even met me."

They had, and for multiple reasons. Some of it was because he was a faunus, but a lot of it was the fact that he was in the way of what they wanted, a union between the Schnee and Metelia family. Either way, the result was the same. Sun never had a chance.

"I'm still sorry for how they acted."

"And I'm still not accepting it's your fault. A child isn't supposed to apologise for their _parent_ being childish."

Weiss snorted. She covered her mouth with both hands a second later, embarrassed. Snorting really wasn't very ladylike, but she couldn't help it. No one had ever referred to Jacques Schnee as a child before. Arrogant, cold, cruel and much more, but never childish.

The best part was that Sun was right to say it.

"Can't really be offended at some asshole not liking me," he said. "No offence."

"None taken. Father and I… We don't get on."

"I can tell. Too much to ask why?"

"I… don't really want to talk about it."

"Then don't," he said. "I won't push. I'll just not lose any sleep over what he says or does. It's weird to be offended by the words of someone you don't care about, you know? If it were Blake or Nep saying those things, I'd be hurt."

"But not Jacques Schnee," Weiss finished. "That's surprisingly resilient of you."

"It's the truth. Not everyone is going to like me, be it my personality, looks or the fact I'm a faunus. I'll bother myself with listening to the opinions of the people I care about, not a load of others that don't matter."

Weiss hummed. She didn't disagree, but… "You know Blake doesn't see it that way."

"Yeah." Sun sighed. "She wants to change everyone. I guess that's what amazes me about her."

"She's have been furious if she were here in your shoes."

"Then maybe it's best she isn't. I like her, but I'm not going to pretend she's perfect. One of the reasons I've been staying quiet is because I don't think me shouting out or making a scene is going to help you _or_ me. It'll just make things worse."

"It would. I'm sorry, Sun."

"Again with the apologies?"

Weiss squawked when a pillow came up and over, slapping her square in the face. "Hey!"

"I warned you, Weiss."

"You gave no such warning!"

"Well, it's a retroactive warning."

"Then it's not much of a warning at all," she cried, sitting up and _smacking_ him in the face with the pillow.

He took it easily, laughing the whole time.

Weiss huffed and rolled back over, turning her back to him.

"Goodnight, Weiss."

"Idiot," she huffed.

"Goodnight, Weiss," he repeated, same tone, same laughter.

"Goodnight, you idiot."

* * *

 **A part of me genuinely thinks Sun could be the only person to bait such a reaction out of Weiss. Neptune is too gentlemanly, Jaune too nervous. Other men? Uh, too absent from RWBY as a whole.**

 **Eh, maybe Mercury could.**

 **Still, dinner, dates and their first night in the same bed. Followed by a cool-down talk about their respective love interests. Of a sort. I like to give Sun the benefit of the doubt and assume he followed Blake out of concern, since suggesting he just `yolo` fought White Fang because he was into a girl he'd seen `** _ **once**_ **` is a little much. xD**

 **Also, can I respectfully ask that the Blake x Jaune arguments in the reviews stop? Just seems unnecessary** _ **here**_ **of all places.**

* * *

 **REMINDER: Do not look at profile pages until the java exploit thing is over. I don't have all the details, but I'm sure you could find the information online or on Reddit.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 6** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	4. Chapter 4

**Important Message re Trolls in Reviews**

Like I mentioned in Forged Destiny, we have the same troll situation going on in a lot of my stories, wherein someone is posting reviews while pretending to be logged in members. It's rather unimaginative, and basically designed to stir shit. I'd like to ask people to ignore it. They are trying to frame forum members, other reviewers or just authors they don't like by suggesting they are responsible for the spam reviews when they are not.

In this case, they are trying to frame Canuck72, a forum member and reviewer.

In Forged Destiny, they're trying to frame some poor guy over in the Naruto fandom, who professes to not even having ever read my stuff.

This has happened on other stories too, and the correct response is just to ignore these people. They're unimportant and don't really matter for anything. Just ignore any anonymous reviews if you like, since they have the highest chance of being fake.

If it continues, I'll just disable the ability for anonymous reviews for a month or two and let it die down. But I'd rather not, as I know some people genuinely want to offer their thoughts and either don't have accounts or can't be bothered to sign in as they're on mobiles, iPhones or other things.

Don't rise to any guest reviews. Ignore the trolls.

You can normally identify the reviews easily - and if you look back, you will see some - because they are Guest Reviews, but named after other reviewers (my forum members, actually) and they are making really silly racist, homophobic and other antagonistic comments. Go back and have a look if you like, or look at the recent reviews in Forged Destiny. Prepare for gratuitous use of the N-Word.

* * *

 **I suppose it also need be said, in case they try messing around, that if you see any reviews from ME then they will likely also be fake. I would only ever review from my account, and it would be very unlikely that I would review my own story.**

 **Thank you to Terakali for this week's cover image!**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Terakali

 **Chapter 4**

* * *

The brightly coloured drinks clinked quietly as they were placed down on the counter, fragrant and colourful cocktails topped with slices of pineapple and a little umbrella. The waitress behind the counter smiled at him, for once ignoring his faunus heritage. It might have had something to do with her gaze lingering a little lower, on his bare chest. Sun wore nothing more than a pair of red swimming shorts.

Taking the two drinks, one in each hand, he flashed a smile for the girl. "Thanks."

"N-No problem," she stammered.

Sun manoeuvred his way around the others at the bar and out onto the tiled area surrounding the main pool, where a group of people were splashing around. Someone whistled as he past and an older pair of ladies reclining on deck chairs took a none-too-subtle look, enjoying what they saw. A girl walked by with a guy beside her, and her eyes lingered on Sun's body, much to the anger of her boyfriend.

A huntsman's physique was always going to be a little more `special` than a normal person's, no matter how hard someone worked out. They trained for four to six hours a day, and when they weren't training, they were fighting. Sun's muscles weren't for show, they were for use, which meant there was little wasted effort, bulk or emphasis. Every part of his body was a cog in a well-oiled machine.

In Beacon, he might be considered handsome, but no more `stacked` than any other guy. Even Jaune had definition enough to make the men here weep, though the guy kept it hidden under that monstrosity of a hoodie he wore.

Like it or not, huntsmen and huntresses were exotic, exciting figures. It didn't just go for the guys, either. Yang got her fair share of looks and even Ruby, at fifteen, had a body quite a few women would die for. It wouldn't have surprised Sun if Blake could arm wrestle most guys and win.

Sun took more care of his body than most, but what else could you rely on out there in the Grimmlands? Did he like that it looked good on top? Sure. But he didn't let it go to his head.

Of course, even if he had, Weiss would have been there to deflate his ego.

"The lady's drink," Sun said, taking one knee behind Weiss' deckchair set out on the sandy beach.

Weiss reached up slowly and drew her sunglasses down. She'd opted for a more revealing swimsuit today, a white two-piece with a blue snowflake on her left breast. It was the first time Sun had seen her with her hair down and loose, and he had to admit it suited her. She had very long hair, almost like Yang's, except Weiss' looked smoother to the touch, like strands of white silk.

"I don't remember asking for anything."

"It is a gift," Sun waxed, affecting a dramatic pose, "A sign of my eternal affections for the woman who holds my hear- ow!" He rubbed his arm where she'd reached out to pinch him. It hadn't actually hurt, since he'd reacted instinctively with his aura.

He shot her a pout either way.

"You deserved that."

"Maybe." Sun laughed and sat down on the towel down beside Weiss' chair. There were others around, but he liked the soft feel of the sand beneath him, if not the feel of it _in_ his shorts. "It's hot out, though. I figured you could use some refreshment."

"Is it alcoholic?"

"Probably. I got it at a bar. Looks more ice than anything to me, though."

Weiss accepted it and took a tentative sip. "Mhm. Fruity." She leaned back, glasses still perched on the tip of her nose. Her eyes watched him as he settled down, tail splaying out behind him. "Thank you, for buying this, I mean."

"Uh. I didn't have to buy it, since we're all expenses paid and everything."

"That wasn't what I-" She huffed and looked away. "Forget it."

Surprised, Sun eyed Weiss for a moment, before he realised what she'd been trying to say. He bit back a laugh. "Hey, it's no problem. I just thought you could use a drink."

"Hm."

As talkative as ever. Weiss hadn't said much that morning, other than to wish him well, arrange who would have a shower first and briefly discuss if they were doing anything that day. She'd decided they should spend time together, if only to sell their act.

Sun hadn't minded. It wasn't like he knew anyone else out here. If this were Haven, he might have seen if the people playing volleyball further down the beach wanted another player, but it would have been unfair for a huntsman to join in with normal folk, not to mention what might happen to Weiss in his absence.

Not that he thought she couldn't look after herself; such was the problem. If some adventurous guy approached Weiss to try and flirt, he risked death. It was Sun's duty to protect any poor fools from that.

"What are you laughing at?" Weiss demanded.

"N-Nothing. Just my thoughts."

Weiss eyed him, knowing that wasn't true. "Well, don't laugh at them too hard. Thoughts are probably rare enough in your head that they experience enough bullying as it is."

"Ha! That was pretty funny."

"I try."

A pair of women, easily twenty-five, strode past. One wore a bright red bikini, the other a similar one in black. Both shook their hips, eyes locked onto Sun's for a moment as they walked on by. Sun smiled back, but stayed where he was, nursing his drink.

"Someone's popular," Weiss said.

If it were anyone else, Sun might have teased her by asking if she were jealous. Of course, given that they both knew she wasn't, such would earn a raised eyebrow and little more. He shrugged instead. "Not as much as you'd think."

"What do you mean? They were practically inviting you to go swim with them."

"Probably inviting me for more than that," Sun said shamelessly, earning _two_ raised eyebrows from Weiss. Ooh, an upgrade.

"I dare say you're right. Not interested?"

"More like I'm not interested in what they want."

"And what is that?"

"An experience." Sun grimaced. "An experiment. I'm not the hot guy on the beach they want to get to know better, I'm the faunus. I'm the `bad boy` type."

"You? A bad boy?" Weiss scoffed.

Sun grinned back at her. "Hey, I'll take that as a compliment. But you know how stereotypes are. You're a Schnee, so you're automatically a cold and emotionless money-grabbing witch, and I'm a faunus, so probably a part of the White Fang. I'm dangerous, or so they think. That's what they're interested in."

Weiss ran a finger around the rim of her glass. "Who says it's a stereotype with me?"

"I do. I've seen you with your team, you know. You can be cold just like anyone else can be, me included, but I've also watched you get into board games, arguments about homework and other stuff."

"I suppose." Weiss' head tilted to regard him. "And I've watched you chase after Blake like a love-sick puppy. Those two would weep at the thought of just how little `bad` is in you."

"Yep. Woe is me. I've always been the kind of guy who looks for a more long-term relationship, you know?"

"Marriage?"

"Not _that_ long-term. Though… I'm not against it. I just mean feelings. A relationship."

"Not a one-night stand," Weiss finished.

"Yeah."

She sighed. "I can respect that. I'd say it makes me more willing to accept you and Blake, but it's not like I thought for a moment you were after her for her body." She smirked at him. "You were too much a doting idiot in love for that."

Sun tried to hide his embarrassment, but his cheeks gave it away. Weiss noticed, smirking even wider. "Hey, lay off," he said, gently slapping her arm. Weiss snorted in amusement. "It's not like I'm the only one here getting appreciative looks, you know. There's those two over by the boats who-"

"Have been leering over and talking about me for an hour," Weiss said. "Yes, I know."

Well, they were being pretty obvious, and Weiss wasn't an idiot. It was probably for their own good that Weiss hadn't thought to get up and deal with them. Probably too much effort in the scorching midday sun.

"There have always been those who were interested in me like that," she said. From anyone else, it might have sounded arrogant, but Weiss said it as though she were discussing the weather. "They see my name, my face, my wealth and sometimes my fame, and they attach value to it. I doubt it's me they're interested in at all."

"Uh…" Sun scratched his cheek. "I think you're overestimating those guys a little…"

Weiss sat up again, regarding him. "What do you mean?"

"Well…"

Sat as she was, one arm on the deck chair and tilted toward him, the smooth curves of Weiss' body were on full display. A flat, toned stomach, long, smooth legs, creamy alabaster skin and white hair that fell over her shoulders, spreading around her small but perfectly formed breasts. Her eyes were a piercing blue and the thin, red line that cut through one of them might have turned some off, but to a huntsman it was a badge of honour.

Sun was a man in love, he knew, but he was still a man. He could look at a girl and admit they were hot. Weiss wasn't bombastic like Yang or enigmatic like Blake, she was more of a classical beauty, soft skin, small hands and a delicate jawline. But with a sharper edge, ever-present in those eyes of hers.

"Let's just say they're probably thinking a little _lower down_ than what you're suggesting."

Weiss, no idiot, laid back down with a huff. "Wonderful."

"You should consider it a compliment!"

"I'd see it as a bigger compliment if you went over there and beat them within an inch of their lives."

"Yeah, I can't really do that."

"Not even for the jealous boyfriend routine?"

"You already pointed out how I'm not one of those `bad boy` types. Sorry."

"Curses." Weiss' voice was flat, deadpan. "Then I suppose I'll just have to settle with glaring them into submission."

Sun laughed. "Think you can do the same for the girls lookin' at me?"

"I think it's only fair I help you with your problem as much as you are helping me with mine. As in, not at all."

"Boo."

He laughed and leaned back, not all that bothered. It felt like a game between them at this point, and he kinda liked that. This trip would have been far more awkward if they were sat in constant silence. Sun wasn't sure they counted as friends or anything, but they were more than strangers. Maybe it was the beginning of a friendship. Weiss was cattish, quick to anger and downright savage in judging people, but also a whole lot wittier than he'd realised.

Probably because he spent all his time with Blake, and Yang overrode most of her team when it came to being the chatty one. Weiss spent more of her time with Ruby, except when Neptune was working his magic.

Heh, Neptune was a lucky guy.

/-/

"There's a formal dance?" Weiss asked.

"I'm afraid so," Winter said.

Sun sighed. "Man, away from one ball and roped into another. Does everyone plan these at the same times or something?"

Though Weiss wouldn't admit it, she fully agreed with him. A ball was ridiculous, especially on such short notice. Another scheme from her father, no doubt. She'd actually been looking forward to the one in Beacon, but that was only because it would be the first time she had ever gone to a ball as a guest and guest only, there for fun and not to show off or _be_ shown off.

This had all the hallmarks of the latter kind of event.

"Tell me he's not trying to force me to go with Azure," Weiss begged.

"I'll say that he has made no move to _push_ for that, but we both know it is his hope you will." Winter sat on a chair in her lodge, legs crossed, while Sun and Weiss – still in their swimwear – sat on the end of Winter's bed.

It felt a lot like they were being told off for something, which was awkward since that wasn't the case.

"Can he do that?" Sun asked.

"Weiss will be expected to attend with someone, if only for the sake of propriety. If you are here, it can be you. If not, Azure will… generously offer to act as Weiss' date for the evening. No strings attached, of course."

"Of course," Weiss scoffed. "Sun, you're going. No excuses."

"Uh, yeah. That's fine. That was always the plan." He looked to Winter, and Weiss was surprised how unconcerned he seemed for her sister's presence. Winter had an imposing aura. "I don't have a suit, though. And I doubt Weiss has a dress."

"I do not," she confirmed.

"Gowns for Weiss and I are being delivered." Winter said. "As for you, you shall have to purchase something on the island. There is a small shopping centre outside the resort. It is owned by the Metelia family, so it should all be connected. It's not included in the costings for your stay, however."

Weiss caught on quickly. "That's father's plan? That Sun will be too poor to afford a suit?" She winced when she realised how that sounded. "I didn't-"

"It's fine. I know what you meant."

Even if he had, she could have phrased that better. Weiss shook her head, reprimanding herself inside. "He can use my card," she said. "I'll buy whatever he needs. I assume father hasn't seen to cut me off from my funds."

"If he has, then your partner can use mine." Winter was careful to use `partner` instead of boyfriend, likely because the latter would have been too on the nose. "Father may seek to get rid of him in other ways. If the subtle approach does not work, he may become more… forceful."

Sun did not look impressed. "I'm a huntsman-in-training."

"Not physically… at least I would certainly hope not. You will just need to keep your wits about you. You've proven… _capable_ of masquerading as Weiss' partner thus far, do not fail now."

Weiss felt an uncomfortable twist in her gut, coupled with a need to defend Sun. "I trust him, Winter. He has been exemplary so far."

"I won't let you down." Sun agreed.

"Hm." Winter's eyes slowly closed. Oddly, she did not look any less worried. "Very well. I shall trust you to know what is best, Weiss. Just be careful. This is all a careful act. Do not allow yourself to be influenced so easily."

Something about Winter's comment tickled her thoughts. She couldn't place it. "Father can try, but I'm not going to be signed away to someone I do not know, especially not like this. Is there anything else we need to be aware of?"

"Only that the Metelia family have not given up their suit of you. They intend to increase the amount of time you and Azure spend together, whether that means your partner attends or not. To put it frankly, they believe you will `see the light` and realise how much better their son is than some unknown, unimportant faunus."

Weiss bristled.

"Their words," Winter said, "Not mine."

"Well, they can choke on those words."

Sun's hand touched her elbow softly. He had a small grin on his face, impish and cheeky. He shook his head briefly, telling her not to get worked up.

Gods, she couldn't understand why _she_ was the angry one and _he_ was calm. Did he not even care that people were literally disparaging him behind his back? All because he happened to be a faunus? Gah!

 _If he's not worked up, I should not be either,_ she told herself. _Get a grip._

The stupid idiot was entirely too easy-going. There had to be a point at which that stopped being a virtue and started to become something self-destructive. Well, better Sun's approach than Blake's, Weiss supposed. Starting a terrorist group at a resort just to deal with racism was probably a little too far in the opposite direction.

"We'll keep our eyes and ears open," Weiss eventually said, looking to Sun. He nodded in agreement. "Thanks for letting us know, Winter. I – _we_ – appreciate it."

Sun, ever the idiot, couldn't leave it there.

"Yeah. Thanks, Weiss' sis."

Idiot.

/-/

" _Weiss! It's you!"_

Something about Ruby's innocent cheer, the sheer _genuine_ happiness to see her face, had Weiss choked for a moment. Only a moment, of course. The surprise gave way to embarrassment, and embarrassment – as it often did – gave way to indignation.

"You idiot, Ruby," she snapped, flustered. "You answered the call and it would have _said_ who the caller was. Of course it's me!"

" _Ah… w-well, it could have been someone else. Maybe you were kidnapped."_

"Are you suggesting I'd let myself be kidnapped so easily? Or that any potential kidnapper would contact _you_ and not, say, my very rich father?"

" _No, no, no. I… uh…"_

The view through Weiss' scroll shifted. The device was hooked into the resorts miniature CCT relay, a signal-boosting device of no small expense which would send her message to Mistral's CCT, to be boosted over to Vale's and thus sent out to Ruby's scroll.

Through the screen, she watched Ruby's scroll be lifted up and out of her team leader's hands. She caught a glimpse of Yang's face, her usual grin, before it was passed on to Blake.

" _Hello Weiss,"_ her _sane_ teammate greeted. _"How are things?"_

"As frustrating as you might imagine. My sister's worst fears have been confirmed. My father is trying to suit me with someone."

" _He hot?"_ Yang called from the background.

"I suppose you might think him so," Weiss said objectively. Azure _was_ attractive. "The problem is more the family connections. Well, that and the fact I neither know him nor have any interest in getting to know him. His mother is a trophy wife at best, and practically told me to give up being a huntress in favour of being a stay-at-home wife."

" _Ugh."_ Yang grimaced.

" _What?"_ Ruby cried. _"That sounds so boring!"_

" _I take it you're not enamoured then,"_ Blake said with a little smile.

"You assume correctly."

" _Good job you took Sun with you, then. How is he doing? I hope he's looking after you, or we might have to have words when you return."_

"Sun has been a blessing," Weiss said quickly. "He has been the perfect gentleman. Polite, conscientious and unobtrusive." Well, there was the time yesterday he threw her in the sea, but Weiss didn't bother telling them that. She had a feeling they would have _approved_ , the absolute cads.

Blake looked pleased. _"I'm glad to hear it. I told you he would be a good choice."_

"Yes, yes, you were right." Talk about having to rub it in. "I can't say it's been easy. There is a lot of anti-faunus sentiment over here, at least from the owning family, and father, of course."

" _They're racist?"_ Blake's expression darkened.

"Not all of them… or not explicitly. It's more…" Weiss couldn't quite find the right words. Some people here ignored Sun more than they ought to, and his tail was often the cause for that. Even the girls who liked the look of him judged him on it, which probably still fit the term. "Okay, there is a bit of racism, yes. Sun hasn't let it bother him."

" _That doesn't mean it doesn't,"_ Blake said. _"You have tried to put a stop to it, right?"_

"Of course I have!"

" _Good."_

Blake's expression through the lens spoke of grim satisfaction, but also an anger burning under the surface. It was a stark contrast to Sun, who had been the butt of much of the negative treatment and was able to shrug it off. Perhaps it was a different in their pasts, Blake having become used to `fighting` against the injustice, while Sun was prepared to try and rise above it.

Weiss wasn't sure if that meant Sun was good for Blake or not. On the one hand, he might help temper her instincts to immediately run off and risk her life against the White Fang – a definite good thing, he deserved a medal for that – but on the other hand, Weiss had to wonder whether Sun's passiveness wouldn't earn him some annoyance from Blake, who might see his willingness to let personal attacks on him go as weakness.

She didn't think it was weakness.

Sun could punish every person who did it if he wanted, he just didn't see them as worth his time.

"I've done what I can, Blake, and I'll continue to try and change things, but I'm not in charge here. I can only intervene in what I see."

" _I know, Weiss. I know."_ Blake sighed. _"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like I was snapping at you. I'm glad to know Sun has been treating you well. Tell him… Tell him I'm pleased. Tell him thanks from me."_

Bribery? No, it felt more like rewarding a dog. Weiss shuffled uncomfortably.

" _What else is going on?"_ Yang asked from the side.

"We have a formal dance coming up," Weiss said, happy to change the subject. "And yes, I know. A dance right before _our_ dance. Believe me, neither Sun nor I were impressed to find out about it. Winter has a dress being delivered for me, but Sun will have to buy one outside the resort."

" _Make sure he doesn't get one with an open shirt,"_ Blake said. _"Or no shirt."_

"Believe me, I will imprint such instructions into his retinas if I have to." Not that she thought she would. He'd been good at avoiding such traps so far. "Anything to report from Beacon?"

" _Nothing worth mentioning. Jaune asked where you were."_

Weiss grimaced.

" _But other than that, things are normal. Well, for us anyway. There's the usual pre-dance drama going on. People asking one another, agonising over dresses and whether they'll be going alone. The usual."_

"I'm glad I get to skip it. I have to go," Weiss said, checking the time. "It was… It was good to talk to you all again."

" _You can say you miss us, you know,"_ Yang teased. _"We don't laugh at you for it."_

"I suggested no such thing. Goodbye!" She ended the call, the last thing she saw Yang's laughing face and Blake's amused smile. Those idiots.

Weiss sighed.

Yes, she did miss them, even if it _had_ only been two days now. Unlatching her scroll, Weiss made her way down the line, where Sun was chatting with his team. He'd given her some space, and him her, neither wanting to intrude or talk over the other. The call centre was mostly empty either way.

Without really meaning to, Weiss caught the tail-end of his call.

"It's cool. I'll send you some pics." Sun paused. "Not of Weiss, Sage. Nep, hit him for me. I'm not to do that to her." Sun laughed, likely because Neptune had given his teammate a swift rap for what she could imagine was a vulgar comment.

At least Sun had turned that down quickly.

"Everything is fine, trust me. Weiss is great. No, really. I'd honestly spend time with her after this if she let me, she's hilarious. Dry wit, dryer than the deserts back home."

Weiss tried to pretend she hadn't heard the compliment, looking away with an awkward cough. Her feet carried her away, out of hearing range. It wouldn't do to stand there and continue to listen in on a private conversation knowingly.

Fortunately, Sun finished soon after, swaggering back with a huge smile on his face.

"You look happy," she said.

"Eh, it's good to see them again. They're complete goons, I tell you, but they're _my_ goons." He quirked an eyebrow. "How are the girls?"

"Excitable, loud and annoying. Basically, the same as ever."

He laughed. "They asked about me, didn't they? Don't tell me they thought I'd try something."

"They did, but I set such thoughts straight." Weiss recalled Blake's message, her praise, but hesitated to give it. It still felt insulting to her, as if by giving it, she'd be suggesting that Sun had only done this for it. Her stomach protested the idea. "Everyone was pleased to hear things were going well," she evaded. "Nothing unusual to report at Beacon."

"Yeah? Same here, mostly. Someone asked Neptune to the dance, though."

Weiss forced herself to look unconcerned, "Oh? Lucky him."

"He let them down gently. Said he was waiting to ask someone." Sun's grin made it clear who, as if his lack of subtlety hadn't already.

Weiss guessed that made him a good friend, at least to Neptune. She wasn't sure what to say, however, and looked away awkwardly. While she had expected him to ask, perhaps even wanted it, she'd anticipated it would be face-to-face, not delivered second hand like this.

"I think whomever it is will give him an answer when he asks."

"Ha." Sun grinned. "I guess so. You don't-" He cut off, eyes flicking above her shoulder. A second later, he stepped forward, arms moving for her.

Weiss' heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to be still, trusting him. He had to have a reason. Anything else would have been completely out of character for him. When his hands worked their way around her waist, settling on the back of her hips, she allowed her own to weave around his neck, linking behind him. "Who is it?" she whispered.

Sun leaned down, his blond hair brushing against her forehead. He was so close that their breath mingled, and to anyone watching from behind, it might have seemed like they were kissing.

The way her cheeks heated up likely sold the image.

"The parents," he whispered. He leaned in even closer, not so much that their lips touched, but enough that their noses did. Weiss jumped a little, nose twitching as his brushed against it. He looked past her shoulder a second later and leaned back. "They're gone." He winced. "Sorry about that."

"I-It's fine. This is what I wanted you to do. Pretend, I mean. Not that I mean it's real." Curse her stutter. She blamed his warm hands on her back for it. Sun had large palms, she realised. She could feel the heat from them seeping into her muscles.

Oddly, it was his hair which really surprised her, though. It was remarkably soft on her fingers when she'd imagined it to be coarse and rough. Sun had nice hair, even if his style left something to be desired. Too wild and untamed for her. She had the strangest impulse to stroke it flat and see what it looked like.

Sun let go of her before she could, which was probably a good thing in hindsight.

Weiss stepped back, too.

"So," she began.

"I…" He trailed off.

"You first," they said in unison.

A second later, Sun laughed. "Fine, I'll go first. I'm starving. Want to grab a bite to eat?"

Weiss almost sagged in relief. Food, a safe topic. "Absolutely. Preferably, somewhere where we won't be interrupted by meddling family, unwanted suitors or irritating family members. If we're lucky, I'll get food poisoning and be able to crash in our lodge for the rest of the trip."

Sun laughed, "We could always fake it."

"They'd only send a doctor," Weiss lamented. "It wouldn't do for the guest of honour to be ill."

"Generous of them. Think they'd do the same if I came down with something?"

Weiss scoffed. "More likely they'd pay someone to suggest bedrest and nothing but. Or perhaps that you need equipment that can't be provided here, but don't worry," she mimicked, voice high-pitched, "I'm sure we'd be happy to pay for you to have it. So long as you have it on the mainland, leaving me behind."

Sun affected a shocked and happy voice. "Oh! That's so kind! It's wonderful to know the kind and loving people here have so much compassion for their guests."

The two shared another laugh, drawing a few odd looks. Again, people were likely intrigued _because_ it was an obviously wealthy girl like her with a faunus. Well, let them stare. Weiss couldn't bring herself to care what such idiots thought about her life choices, even if Sun was only pretending to be one such choice. As if she would reject a good man just because he was a faunus. Sun was a perfectly good catch.

Hypothetically, that was.

Weiss swallowed.

"Weiss?"

"It's nothing. Just realising how hungry I am now that you brought it up."

"Heh. Well, let's go."

/-/

"Look at them," Millennia groused, sat at a table with her son. Her eyes were not on him, however, but rather on the couple on the other side of the restaurant, sat on a seat on the balcony, overlooking the pool.

A more unusual couple there wasn't. Weiss' pale skin stood out against Sun's as they sat at the table, her legs fitting between his under it, her eyebrow raised as the outgoing man opposite told her some far-fetched story. He laughed loudly when it finished.

To his mother's irritation, Weiss smiled too.

"He isn't good enough for her, Azure. They hardly fit. Look how brash he is, how bold. A demure lady does not need someone like that, she needs someone who can understand her, who can be soft when required, strong when needed."

Azure's eyes fell to the table. He thought they fit, as much as it pained him to admit it. Different and yet the same, they meshed in a way he wasn't sure he could categorise. Either way, Millennia didn't want such an answer.

"Yes, mother."

"You need to get closer to her, spend more time with her. With _him_ too, if needs be. Once you're around her more, she'll come to see how good a man you are. She'll realise what she is missing out on, what her little `toy` cannot provide."

"Yes, mother."

Millennia frowned at him. "You do realise what this is, sweetheart? Girls, women, even I, we go through phases. A little rebellion is expected, good for the soul even. Everyone wants to try and be with a rough and ready type at least once. It doesn't mean it's forever, or that you'll settle down. His type rarely does. You understand what I am saying, don't you?"

"I understand."

"Good. Good. She'll come around, son. Just give her a little time. Time to get bored of him and time to know you better. Tomorrow," she decided, "I want you to take them on a tour of the island tomorrow. Just the three of you."

The pit in Azure's stomach opened even larger.

"She'll get over him," his mother promised. "You'll see."

As Azure looked back to Weiss Schnee and Sun Wukong, he saw Weiss reach up and brush a strand of hair from before her face, eyes locked on her date. He said something back to her, and her smile grew. It was a more honest expression than he'd seen at the meal with her and her family the night before.

Somehow, Azure wasn't as confident as his mother…

* * *

 **Things! Not much to say, really. Sun is still rooting for Weiss x Neptune and Weiss is still slowly supporting Blake x Sun, while each is becoming more and more relaxed in the presence of the other, noticing the little things.**

 **Meanwhile, Winter may have noticed something, and Weiss' suitor certainly has.**

 **Sorry if this AN sounds weak and half-hearted, I'm just tired because of the whole fake review thing going on. It's petty and, on top of the weird hacking thing from two weeks back, just isn't really needed.**

 **Remember, ignore the obvious troll reviews.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 20** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here we go. Not much to say, glad people are enjoying Sun and Weiss despite how rare a pairing it is. And I agree, I love Sun's general bro-ness. He's like one of those jocks on American TV, but actually a good guy on top of being a bro.**

 **The troll is still wasting time in the reviews trying to insult, make racist comments and frame other people. He's usually trying to invite scorn or angry reviews on some other writer's work by pretending to "advertise" for him, all to get the poor writer in trouble. Ignore him.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Terakali

 **Chapter 5**

* * *

It was curious how quickly they'd gotten used to sleeping in the same room, or at least Sun thought so. Wake up, check the wall of pillows, find it in one piece, roll out of bed, morning greetings, Weiss takes the shower first – both because it's the gentlemanly thing to do and because she has more to do – and sit out on the balcony waiting, breathing in that fresh, sea-salt air.

Get stared at by Weiss' sister, too, apparently.

"Uh. Hi." Sun waved.

"Hmh. Good morning." Winter turned away with the simple greeting, vanishing back inside without a second glance.

"Oookay…"

Well, Weiss' sister aside, it was a comfortable routine. Weiss would come back out in a dressing gown and Sun would avert his eyes from her wet hair and sleek neck, no more revealing than anything else she wore, but somehow worse because he _knew_ she was wearing nothing under that thick, fluffy gown, slip into the bathroom and turn the shower down several degrees.

Try not to notice how the air is still warm and smells faintly of jasmine. That way lays madness.

Also, no thinking about what – or who – the sponge had been rubbing up against.

"Ugh." Sun placed his forehead against the cool tiles and drew a quick breath. "I hate mornings."

The cold water helped, waking him up and washing away any lingering traces of morning problems. It was hard to think of anything when ice-cold water had you shivering. Hopping out, he towelled his hair dry, then his body, and finally spent a good few minutes working his fingers through his tail to make sure the fur there didn't trap any water and have him feeling jittery all day.

Non-faunus, when they weren't racist, often asked what it was like to have enhanced senses, _two_ sets of ears or a prehensile tail. They didn't understand that it wasn't the big changes you noticed so much as the little ones, like automatic doors closing behind you a little too quickly, or your tail going numb if you sat on it, or just the difficulties in finding clothing that accommodated your biological differences. Sometimes he envied Blake her ears. Those, at least, were a little easier to deal with.

A quick run over with a towel, brush of the teeth and a hand run through his hair a few times and he was out, pulling a thin white shirt over his chest and stepping out with a pair of tan safari shorts clinging to his hips.

"I'm coming out," he called, just to be safe.

"I'm good," Weiss replied. She was sat at the dresser, a hairbrush on the table before her. Her hair was pinned back up, something Sun felt a little bummed about. She wore it down in the cabin and on the beach, and he had to admit he liked that better. She had a pastel pink top on and some white trousers, and he realised it was the first time he'd ever seen her not in a skirt. Weiss noticed him looking.

"If we're supposed to be exploring the island today, I'm not going to wear a skirt."

Sun laughed and cocked his head to the side. "You see, I hear that, and it makes perfect sense when it goes into my head… but then I remember that you wear a skirt to go out into the wilderness and fight dangerous monsters."

"That's a combat skirt!"

"Sure."

"It is, not that I expect a brute like you to understand." She turned her nose up a little. "Either way, I can't wear a combat skirt for something like this."

He didn't really get it, but it was Weiss' call. "Will we need our weapons?" he asked.

"No. The island is routinely cleared of Grimm and small enough to be closely monitored. In the unlikely event we do see any, it would be one at best and incredibly small. We could deal with that unarmed."

He definitely could, but he had to raise a brow at Weiss' easy confidence. Not because he didn't believe it, but because he'd never seen her fight without her rapier. Then again, this was Weiss. She'd probably had some of the best tutors, and considering how much effort she put into everything, she probably knew a martial art or two.

Weiss noticed his expression. "You're doubting me."

"No way. Just… Kinda curious, you know. Wondering what style you use. You up for a spar?"

"Here?"

"Uh, maybe back at Beacon. Don't want to get them excited that we're fighting or something. They might overreact." At the same time, it felt weird to suggest the two of them do _anything_ at Beacon. Once this was over, they'd go back to being distant acquaintances at best. He half expected her to turn him down, or politely deflect.

"You're on," she said instead. "I could use a little practice."

Sun grinned, pleased. "Team RWBY not keen on it?"

"Yang is, but that's hardly fair. Blake doesn't see the point and Ruby… ugh, I respect her, I really do, but sometimes she can be so infuriating. She simply _refuses_ to believe she will ever be without her weapon."

"Hey, I know the feeling. Neptune does the same." Weiss frowned, and Sun realised why a second later – cursing in his head. He wasn't supposed to be talking down about Nep like that, even if it was true. Not in front of the girl he was pursuing. "N-Not that he doesn't give it a go anyway," he quickly said. "You know, he doesn't like it, but he knows it's necessary."

Not quite the whole truth there.

"Hm. That's good. It's important to sometimes do things we don't like. Being a huntsman or a huntress isn't just about having fun and playing games, it's also serious business with people's lives on the line."

"Yeah…" Sun wanted to kick himself in the head. He coughed instead. "So, we shouldn't keep your father waiting, right? We good to go?"

The distraction worked, and Weiss nodded.

"I guess we are."

/-/

Jacques immediately noticed their approach and his eyes zeroed in onto Sun almost automatically, narrowing. He scoffed and looked away, first to the Metelia family – to judge their reactions – and only once he was content with that did he deign to grace his daughter with his attention. He looked her up and down, frowning at the trousers she wore.

Weiss bristled just a little. Jacques Schnee had strong _opinions_ on what a woman should and shouldn't wear. Old-fashioned didn't even begin to describe him. It was probably why he had chafed so badly with Winter.

"You have come," he said, as if he hadn't summoned them all, "I see you are prepared for a day out, Weiss."

"I _am_ a huntress, father."

The Metelia family's smiles quivered a little there. It was obvious what they thought of someone like her risking her life fighting Grimm. They'd likely never seen any, or if they had it was behind a wall of armed guards.

Millennia Metelia coughed and nudged her son. He had a pair of pale blue trousers and a cream shirt with double-breasted pockets on, all designer brand and perfectly tailored to his fit, but not muscular form.

"You look great, Weiss," he said on cue. His eyes flicked to Sun even as he said it. "S-So, we wanted to show you a little more of the island, and I thought it would be great if it were just the three of us, leave the adults to hash out the business deals and whatnot."

His mother smiled. "Wonderful idea, Azure."

Years of training and being forced to smile for people who only judged her for her position and reputation kept Weiss from rolling her eyes. _Yes, your idea. And I'm sure this wasn't planted in your head._ It wasn't like Jacques or the Metelia elders had actually dressed to rough it, if they knew what that entailed at all.

"Sounds like fun," Sun said.

He, as always, played it more casual. Weiss honestly wasn't sure whether Sun fell for it or was just playing, but he managed to sound a lot more earnest than she could have hoped to.

"Don't keep them out too late, Azure, and stick to the safer paths," Martin Metelia said. "It's not a competition, so take things easy. Stop and see the sights."

"Yes, father."

"We've had the staff prepare some food and drink for you also." He gestured, and two backpacks were brought forward. One for Azure and one for Sun. Naturally, no one expected someone as dainty as _her_ to carry one.

This time, Weiss _did_ roll her eyes.

"Thank you," she said, "I'm sure it will be an eye-opening experience. We wouldn't want to keep you any longer and I'm eager to see the island. If it is alright with you, father, Mr and Mrs Metelia?"

"Of course, dear," Millennia said, all sweetness and sugar. "Have fun, darling. You too, Weiss."

Sun didn't react to his name being missed out.

Weiss didn't, either, though she hated herself more for it. Funny how she'd always thought Blake exaggerated because of how she'd never seen any faunus actively abused in front of her, other than with Cardin, who literally did that to anyone he could get away with. True discrimination was much subtler than she'd imagined.

And somehow, it was all the more aggravating for the fact she couldn't wade in and tell them to stop. If they'd hit Sun, she would be justified in smacking them down. Little barbed insults, however? If she responded, then she was the one out of line.

Hypocrites.

 _Defend yourself,_ Weiss thought, looking to Sun. _Say something. One of your patented little comments that makes it clear you saw it and don't care. Make them feel like the idiots for trying to be so petty._ He didn't, of course. Sun kept his grin in place and weathered the storm like some unassailable mountain. Somehow, it didn't satisfy her. Not when those responsible were getting away with it.

In fact, to hell with it.

"I'm sure the _three of us_ will have a wonderful experience," Weiss said, reaching over to take Sun's hand. He looked surprised, even if he didn't fight it. His hand engulfed hers. "And don't worry, Sun and I will look after Azure. Isn't that right, Sun?"

"Yeah, of course." he said.

Millennia Metelia looked like she was sucking on a lemon.

Her father scowled too, making it clear she would be `hearing` from him over this, no doubt under the guise of her snide remarks having jeopardised the business deal, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

She'd wiped the smiles off their faces.

/-/

"The island's resort is owned by us, but to get permission for it the Metelia family had to promise to look after the entire island as well, both its environment and its ecology. That's why the resort is limited to just the cove, while the rest of the island has its forests and meadows left clear."

"Fascinating," Weiss said, sounding anything but.

Azure wilted.

Ouch. Cold. Sun winced as Weiss walked past the other teen, looking out over the cliff they'd scaled to the top of. It hadn't been a hard climb thanks to the staircase cut into the rock itself, but they were all at least a little sweaty. Azure more than them, to be honest. They were used to such arduous work.

Feeling a little sorry for him, Sun stepped in, "So, I guess that means you've worked with the wildlife here?"

Azure looked surprised that anyone was talking to him, but quickly recovered. "I have! We had to relocate some of the wildlife upset by the development of the resort. I was a little younger back then, but some of the specialists mother and father brought in let me help. I've done a little since, mostly helping to rehome or protect species endangered on the island."

"You seem pretty into it."

"W-Well, I know it's not a traditional hobby, but the work is rewarding."

"I didn't mean it like that," Sun said. "Just that you like doing it. You're passionate."

"I guess I am… Thanks." Azure laughed, then recalled who he was talking to and went silent. His eyes flicked to Weiss, who was paying little attention, looking out over the wilderness. With an obvious force of effort, Azure swallowed and walked up to stand beside her, ignoring Sun entirely. "It's a beautiful view, isn't it?"

"It has its perks." Weiss turned and walked away. "Where to next, higher?"

"Um. We can, but it's a bit of a difficult cli-" Azure trailed off as he watched Weiss inspect the rockface before her. Like a mountain goat, she hopped up onto one outcrop, jumped up to catch another and hauled herself up without much difficulty. "I guess we're going up…"

"Looks like it," Sun agreed, jogging to catch up.

Weiss led the pack as they clambered higher. The cliff wasn't sheer by any means, more a steep slope that might have been bad if they rolled back down it but was more tricky than dangerous. The rocks were in places so large that they had to be scaled over, and the climb put a lot more emphasis on upper body strength than Sun expected.

Not that it was a problem for him. Or Weiss, really.

The view was a little more problematic. Weiss was above and ahead of him, which meant she'd definitely been right to forget the skirt, combat or otherwise. The white pants were form-fitting, though, which left him with plenty of time to contemplate just how well firm Weiss' behind looked. Azure got to experience his own, which was probably less appreciated.

 _Stop looking, man,_ he told himself. _You're saving yourself for Blake. Don't stare at her friends' ass._

There weren't many other places to look, though. Down was a bad idea, and while the view off to the sides was incredible – looking out over the cover and the sandy beaches of the resort to his left and a near tropical rainforest to the right – not looking ahead was asking for disaster. In the end, he grit his teeth and pushed on, forcing himself not to gaze too much at those perfectly rounded peaches in front of him.

 _Cold shower tonight. Maybe toss myself in the ocean._

Relief came in Weiss reaching the top and scrambling over the lip, standing. She didn't bother to offer a hand for him, trusting he didn't need it. Sun pulled himself up but did turn back, offering a hand to the man below.

Azure ignored it. He was covered in sweat and red in the face, but he pushed himself past, using his legs and arms to drag himself up onto the ledge. He laid there for a moment on his back, panting for breath.

"You okay?" Sun asked.

"I-I'm fine." Another pant followed by a gasp. "Absolutely – _hah_ – fine…"

Azure's eyes slid over to Weiss, who paid little attention to either of them. She was stood at the precipice, looking out over the rainforest with not a care in the world for the harsh winds and brutal climb. She took a few pictures on her scroll, probably for Team RWBY.

"She's not even winded," Azure panted.

"Weiss is a huntress," Sun said, not unkindly. "She's not your typical girl."

For some reason, Azure looked saddened by it.

"I'm beginning to see that…"

/-/

"Weiss, we need to take a break."

"What?" She looked back, confused. Sun sounded serious, but she knew he couldn't have been winded from what they'd been through so far. A quick climb up, then down and now they were looping back through a thin patch of tropical jungle. Nothing too strenuous, even if the humidity in the air had her skin a little flushed.

"It's not me," he said, nodding back.

Of course. Azure staggered more than a few feet behind Sun. The purple-haired teen swayed for a moment but caught himself on a low-hanging vine. It could just as easily have been a snake. _I thought he was fitter than that. Don't tell me he's this tired already. What kind of training does he do?_

The answer hit her a second later; none. Enough to keep his body fit, but only in an aesthetic way, something that wasn't designed for purpose, or at least not for hard trekking and endurance. Weiss sighed and came to a halt.

"Fine." She raised her voice so that Azure could hear her. "We'll stop for a rest here."

"I-I can go on," Azure bluffed.

"Do you think it impressive to pretend?" she asked. "In Beacon, a team has to know the capabilities of every member. If you lie and say you're good to continue, you've no one to blame but yourself when you drop."

Azure winced.

"Take a break," she commanded. "Sun, I think we passed a river…"

"I heard it. Sounded a little to the east, three-hundred metres or so. I'll get us some fresh water if you get a little fire going."

"Hm." Weiss nodded, both pleased he'd paid attention to his surroundings and also somehow not surprised. He _was_ a team leader, after all. "Here, take my canteen as well. Might as well leave your backpack here."

"Sure thing." Sun shrugged it off and laid it down by a log. He took her canteen and then walked over to Azure, who fumbled his out after a moment's confusion. Sun took it and grinned. "Be back in five. Try not to burn the forest down."

"Who do you think I am - Yang?"

Sun winked. "If you were, you'd have freaked out over the leaves in your hair."

He vanished a second later, jogging off into the underbrush. Weiss watched him go and then reached up to her braid, finding the little bits of foliage he'd referred to. With a put-upon sigh, she brought it forward, picking out the little bits and pieces. Shorter hair like Ruby's really would have been better, but her hair was one of the few things Weiss had been willing to sacrifice. Wearing it in a single tail helped keep it out the way and prevented it from being a liability in a fight.

It was while she was picking out the twigs and leaves that she heard Azure's pack slide off his shoulders and hit the floor. He was still panting, so it was hardly a stealthy approach. Weiss grimaced, but let him sit on the log beside her.

"I'm sorry." he said.

A little surprise flashed by. "Hm?"

"For saying I was fine to keep going," he explained. "You're right, bravado doesn't really get me anywhere. It was silly."

It was good of him to admit it, she supposed. "It's fine. Consider it a learning experience."

"It really is. You and him… Sun…" Azure hesitated on the name, almost uncertain. He shook his head quickly. "You're both on another level."

"We're huntsmen-in-training."

"I know, I know. It's just… It's more than I expected."

"And what _did_ you expect?"

Azure didn't answer.

"Let me guess," Weiss said, letting her hair go. "A spoiled and pampered princess _playing_ at being a huntress. A demure lady with delicate features, polite mannerisms and painted nails. Someone who would smile, blush and give up a silly career like being a huntress."

"I don't think being a huntress is silly," he argued.

"But you didn't deny the other parts."

"I…" One hand came up to rub his face. "I'm sorry…"

"I'm used to it. You wouldn't be the first to think that of me and you certainly won't be the last."

If she were being honest, she wasn't upset, nor angry. To be so, she'd have had to be surprised and she wasn't. Jacques wouldn't have given an accurate depiction of her, and she hadn't been lying when she said she was used to it.

At every concert, at every formal dinner, every single person – without fail – had listened to her dream of being a huntress and dismissed it. Polite laughter, feigned awe and the occasional amused smile to their partner. Not a single person thought she could do it. Too soft, too petite, too rich, pampered. As if wealth and wealth alone would determine her capability, her drive.

Weiss wasn't angry, nor disappointed. It was old hat. Even Blake had once assumed her to be like that. Ruby and Yang might have been the same, it was hard to say. No. Ruby was too dense to think such nasty thoughts. Weiss smiled at the thought and shook her head. Ruby would have had some kind words of encouragement for Azure.

A shame for him she wasn't here.

"When we move on, I'll take your backpack."

"What? No, I can still-"

"I'm sure you can but pandering to some misplaced sense of masculine pride is only going to slow us down. I'm not going to be impressed by you pushing yourself to collapse." Her eyes snapped to his, silencing him immediately. "This is not up for discussion."

"R-Right." Azure looked down, clearly upset to have been shown up in such a way.

Gods above, save her from men with wounded egos. It reminded her of Cardin, albeit a whole lot less antagonistic. Even Arc in a way, though she felt cruel for saying it. Cardin was an ass and a racist, so she felt no shame in beating him down and watching him glare angrily at her, but Jaune would sag and sulk whenever she turned him down.

It was galling.

She didn't _want_ to put him in that spot all the time. Of course she didn't! If only he'd take the hint and stop for his own sake – or if he _was_ going to keep asking, then take a leaf from Sun's book and accept the rejection with a smile and a firm shoulder, like he did with Blake. Azure was similar in a way, acting like a kicked puppy when he really didn't need to. If Weiss had become tired on a long journey, Blake, Yang and Ruby would have offered to share her load. It was just teamwork. Pyrrha and Nora would no doubt have done the same for Jaune and Ren. Gender norms didn't come into it and there was certainly no place for pride.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you and Sun get together?"

Weiss almost wanted to say she _did_ mind, but that might have made her sound too defensive. Sun was still a few minutes off, so there wasn't much other than awkward silence awaiting her.

"We met in Beacon. Sun is a transfer from Haven, Mistral's academy. He came over early, however." She refrained from saying how, since it was frankly ridiculous. Did Haven really not notice or punish someone for skipping school to essentially _stowaway_ on a ship set for another Kingdom?

That was insane.

"He helped one of my teammates with a serious problem, saving their life in the process."

And, as she'd later come to understand, injecting a little caution into Blake at the same time. Such was a sodding miracle, even if it hadn't done much to stop Blake being obsessive about the White Fang. That he'd tried, and that he'd curtailed her almost suicidal impulse to rush in against Torchwick on her own, was enough in his favour.

"I didn't much like him at first," she said, pretty much honestly. "He was rash, abrasive and, I thought, a bit of a scoundrel."

Sneaking onto that boat, wearing scandalously little. And yes, he had abs, she could see them. But did he have to parade them around like they were God's gift to women?

"But I began to realise he wasn't as bad I'd thought." Idiot that he could still sometimes be, throwing her in the ocean like that. "Despite his brash manner, he was – is – surprisingly mature."

Not rising to Jacques' bait, or even the Metelia's.

"He has a thick skin, a frankly infectiously positive outlook and… well, he's more dependable than I expected him to be. Much more." Her standards had been low, of course, but he'd gone above and beyond. "I suppose that appeals to me. Appealed," she corrected.

"And you just got together?"

"I-It was a little more complicated than that. Sun asked first." Naturally, in her little made-up scenario. "And I said no."

Because again, naturally.

"But he didn't give up. He didn't push, but he kept on being there, talking to me, impressing me, and I suppose that after a while I just got used to his presence. He can be a complete idiot at times, and he definitely doesn't take some things seriously enough. But," she admitted, "despite all of that, there's more to like than dislike."

"And he has fantastic abs."

"He does," Weiss admitted.

Azure choked.

Someone _else_ snickered.

Weiss reacted without looking, flinging one of the plastic cups back. It hit Sun directly in the face, which didn't do _nearly_ enough for her humiliation. Weiss' face was blood red. That absolute scoundrel! "How long were you standing there!?"

"Only the last bit, I swear."

Weiss growled. Her neck started to turn red as well.

 _Why am I so embarrassed? It was just a made-up story for Azure's sake. Damn it, Sun. This is your fault somehow._

"Does that make it my turn to list Weiss' best features?" Sun asked, sitting down. "I can if you like." He brought out three filled canteens, which Weiss snatched.

"No, it's not."

"Aw. That hardly seems fair."

"Life rarely is, and _I_ certainly am not. Sit down, shut your mouth and get out the teabags."

"Yes, darling." Sun teased. He leaned toward and stage-whispered, "She's really shy."

"I'm warning you, Sun Wukong! Do not test me."

He would, of course. He didn't seem able to do anything but, and as Azure and Sun laughed like the simple-minded man-children they were, Weiss saw to brewing up some tea. She had to resist the urge to dump Sun's straight in his lap.

"Drink up and don't get comfortable," she hissed. "We're moving ahead soon."

/-/

Maybe he shouldn't have needled her quite so much. She'd only been making stuff up, as was expected of their situation, so it wasn't like she meant anything of what she said, but in all honesty, he couldn't help himself. Weiss had the best reactions. Not that other people didn't react, but Weiss' were a whole lot more honest.

Case in point, Blake didn't react to much he did. In times when he didn't want to let the constant rejection get to him, he told himself she was just a quiet and controlled person, someone calm and prone to thinking – and that was definitely true.

Other times, it felt like the only thing she reacted to was the White Fang.

Tell her a funny joke? She might offer a tight smile, roll of the eyes or a little smile. Compliment here and it might be the exact same set of reactions. Tease her… and, well, he got silence. Yang got the same most times, so Sun knew it wasn't anything personal. Blake just wasn't a very emotional person.

Weiss was very different.

With her, it just felt more… honest. Whether it was anger, indignation or embarrassment, it was always so expressive and blunt – kind of like Ruby, but somehow all the better because Weiss was normally a brick wall carefully maintaining a facade. She was the perfect, diplomatic heiress. Until a chink appeared, at which point the real Weiss came out, often screaming. Yes, it was probably childish of him to keep provoking that, but at least Weiss reacted to what he said and did. It was still more than he got from Blake.

Sun would also say that _Weiss_ looked a little happier at those times, too. Times when she could actually _be_ angry, as opposed to maintaining that forced calm in the face of her father's casual disregard or another one of Millennia Metelia's not-so-veiled insults.

Like she was now.

"Azure and Sun were perfect gentlemen, Mrs Metelia. There's no need to fret."

"Oh please, Weiss, it's Millennia. Why, with how well Jacques, Martin and I are getting on, it feels less like a business deal and more like handing over the reins to family."

"I'm glad to hear the three of you are making such a connection."

Sun bit back his laughter. Sure, make it about the old folks. He liked the sound of that. Weiss had carried Azure's pack back most of the way, still at the lead while Sun took the rear, subtly keeping the fatigued teen between them. It wasn't how Azure had expected the day to end, that much was for sure.

But in a moment of mercy, or perhaps pity, Weiss had claimed she was tired on the last stretch and asked Azure to shoulder the load once more. As such, to his family and Weiss', it looked as though he'd carried it the whole way.

He didn't think she'd ever admit that was her purpose. It would be too soft, too gentle, for someone like her. No, she'd lie and say she was bored, or maybe that she didn't want to deal with the Metelia family's whining if they saw her carrying a pack. Sun knew better, of course. Weiss whined about Ruby just as much but was always there to help if her team leader needed it.

Again, honest actions hidden behind a frosty exterior.

"Thanks for the trip, Azure," Sun called when the Metelia family made to leave. It was sudden and random, an impulse he hadn't expected. He'd mostly kept quiet and let Weiss do the talking around them, but something about the Metelia parents, if not Azure, got to him.

"Um, yeah." Azure smiled, almost honestly. "It was fun."

Martin Metelia smiled as well, all grace and feigned politeness as he nodded back. His wife held nothing back and looked Sun up and down with a disdainful huff. Jacques Schnee was harder to read, staring at him with a hard expression, before turning away without so much as a word to him _or_ Weiss.

"You choose _now_ of all times to speak up?" Weiss groaned once they were gone.

"Sure. Why not?"

"I just think it's bizarre you put up with their disdain and vague racist comments, but the one time she makes a suggestion of Azure and I together, you finally snap."

Sun flinched. He hoped Weiss didn't catch it. She had a point there, though. Nothing much had bothered him about the petty faunus treatment, but he hadn't liked the familiar way that woman talked to Weiss. It was the patronising way she did it that got to him, like she thought Weiss was playing a game and ought to stop being so childish.

But that was _her_ part to be angry about, not his.

"Well, it's expected, isn't it?" he said.

"How so?"

"I'm playing your boyfriend, remember. I'm supposed to get a little defensive when someone makes a pass on my girl, especially when it's so blatant. Don't you think I'd look a little suspicious if I was totally okay with all that?"

"I suppose so." Weiss regarded him with a small smile. "You even thought to act out jealousy?"

"Sure."

Weiss chuckled. "I'm impressed."

 _Yeah, I would be too,_ Sun thought.

If it were true.

/-/

"Hey. You awake still?"

Weiss cracked an eye open. It was late, but not overly so. Considering this was a resort, most people stayed out late to party, but even if the long trek hadn't exhausted them as badly as it had Azure, it still warranted an earlier night. The two were back in bed, the wall of cushions between them, but Weiss was most assuredly still alert.

"I suppose."

"You suppose? Is that a `maybe I am, maybe I'm not` kind of deal?"

Weiss sent a cushion over the wall in response, earning a laugh. It sailed back a moment later, courtesy of Sun's tail acting as some kind of living trebuchet. "Yes, I'm awake, you moron. What is it?"

"Did you mean what you said earlier?"

She knew instantly what he meant, but she wasn't going to give him it so easily. "Of course. The view from the cliff was impressive. I took some pictures to show the others when we get back."

"That's… not quite what I meant."

"Oh?" She feigned ignorance. "Then what did you mean?"

"Those things you said."

"About the ecology of the island? Yes, it was interesting."

Sun groaned. "Come on, Weiss… Throw a man a bone here."

"Maybe when you stop fishing for compliments, you insufferable fool."

"You know, the nicknames just keep coming and coming. I'm beginning to think you like me. Maybe you _were_ serious about what you said."

"Dream on, Sun." Weiss laughed and waited for him to do the same. When he didn't, even after a minute passed, she began to worry. "Sun?"

"Hm? O-Oh yeah, sorry. I just drifted off for a second."

She huffed. "Well, I didn't realise I was so boring. Good night to you."

"No, no, no." He shifted in the bed beside her, peeking over the top of the wall, balanced on his elbow. Weiss rolled over, presenting her back and hair to him. "I was just curious, you know? We didn't exactly talk much in Beacon. I was just wondering if you were being honest with what you said."

"Fishing for compliments, you mean."

"Well, maybe…"

Ha, she knew it!

"But also fishing for this to maybe not be a one-time thing."

W-What!? Weiss' face flooded with colour instantly, even as her body froze beneath the thin sheets. "T-The holiday?" she stammered, cursing herself a second later. What was he suggesting? They couldn't routinely go on holidays together, that would be ridiculous! Or them pretending, or not pretending…

Her head swam.

"I meant us hanging out," Sun quickly said, cutting off such thoughts. "Talking, chatting. You know, like we are now. We're pretty much strangers in Beacon, and that's fine because we didn't really know one another, but… I dunno. I'm kinda having fun."

"Talking…?"

"Yeah." Sun shuffled a little behind her. "Okay, you probably think I'm being weird."

"No, no. I don't." Curse her eager mouth. "I… My team is great, but they're sometimes a little much. And sometimes there are things you don't feel comfortable talking to your closest friends about. I would not, that is to say I wouldn't turn away communique with you."

Communique, really? Weiss felt like smothering herself with a pillow.

Luckily, Sun didn't call her out. "I'd like that, Weiss. And… I guess I'd like if we could hang out some time. As friends, I mean."

Of course. He was too enamoured with Blake for it to be anything more.

"I already promised you a spar once we get back, Sun. There is… There's no reason to pretend nothing that happened here ever did. Our teams know what we're doing and approve of it. I would be happy to count you as a friend back in Beacon."

There. Said well and, she hoped, getting her point across.

Sun laid down again. "Thanks, Weiss. I guess I was worried for nothing."

"Almost certainly." Weiss laughed. "It's one of your many faults."

"Hey, but according to this pretty girl I saw today, I have a lot of good sides to go with I-" Sun was cut off with a squawk as Weiss reared up above the wall and brought down her pillow like Nora might her hammer, right on Sun's face.

"You were warned, Sun Wukong!" she growled, bringing it back up again. While attacking someone with a pillow was frankly beneath her, she'd learned from Ruby and Yang how to wield one. "You have only yourself to blame for this!"

Sun caught it and grinned roguishly over the top. "And I'll warn you, princess. Hit me with that again and I _will_ tickle you until you admit defeat."

Weiss glared down on him.

"You wouldn't dare."

/-/

Winter paused with a glass of wine in hand and cocked her head to the side. She heard the faint sound of laughter, followed by an indignant shriek and some yelling that could have only come from her sister. It was followed by a loud bang, a rumble and more laughter.

With a long sigh, Winter brought up one hand and pinched the bridge of her nose. The other put the glass down, reached over and turned on the radio by her bedside to drown out the noise of… frankly, _whatever was happening_ over in her sister's lodge.

She had a feeling she didn't want to know.

* * *

 **Oh dear, Weiss. Getting a little comfortable with your guy-friend there. I'm sure that won't lead to any complicated feelings down the line. Meanwhile, Sun is already starting to feel conflicted. I guess that's the problem with basing your feelings for a girl literally off running past her and winking once.**

 **Who could have guessed this was not the strongest of foundations!? It's almost like Jaune falling for Weiss because he sees her one time and one time only!** **You know, I always give Pyrrha shit for that, but compared to some of the ships in RWBY, hers is practically one of the more nuanced and thought-out.**

 **Fuck me…**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 4** **th** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	6. Chapter 6

**As mentioned in other stories, I'll be having a week off in December. That won't actually fall on a release date for this story, but it** _ **will**_ **fall on the Tuesday with Service for a Smile, which means that will be pushed back one week, which means** _ **this**_ **will be pushed back a week.**

 **As such, while the next chapter of this will come in two weeks' time on the 18** **th** **, the chapter after won't come for three weeks, until the 8** **th** **January.**

 **If in doubt, always consult the date at the bottom.**

 **Troll still spouting racism and impersonating people in doing so. Ignore.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Terakali

 **Chapter 6**

* * *

Sun gently touched the red mark growing on his cheek. The reflection of it in the vanity mirror wasn't hand-shaped, thank goodness, but that was only because Weiss had delivered the stinging reproach at the end of an elbow, not the palm of a hand.

Weiss huffed and crossed her arms. Her reflection behind him, on the bed, glared his way. "You deserved it. You sexually harassed me!"

"I tickled you."

"Sexual harassment."

"There was nothing sexual about it."

Weiss smiled imperiously. "So, you confess to the harassment? I see..."

Sun rolled his eyes and didn't argue. He had a feeling that way lay defeat. To be fair, it had been something of an impulse to attack and tickle Weiss last night – and to the best of his knowledge, he wasn't sure why he'd thought he'd get away with it. Blake wouldn't have taken that any better, though he fully imagined Blake to not be ticklish and to have given him the cold shoulder for weeks. At least with Weiss, her temper burned for only a short time, even if it was hotter.

All in all, it didn't hurt much, and Sun was willing to accept that he, in some minor way, probably deserved it.

"You think I can say it's sunburn?" he asked. "Hyper-specific sunburn."

"Idiot." Weiss stood and made her way to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Sun sighed. "Nice work, man. What were you thinking?" Nothing, that was what. He'd gotten lost in the fantasy for a moment, though the two of them were closer than they really were. An innocent mistake, no matter what she said, but still awkward. They'd known each other for all of a couple of days, hardly long enough to justify roughhousing with her.

Well, an apology was probably in order.

Words had never been his strong suit. No matter how much he tried, he wasn't Neptune – and even Nep had tried to help him out with how to talk to girls to little avail. It just wasn't in his blood. Every time he tried to be suave, cool and sophisticated, his natural excitement kicked in and he lost it.

Still, there was more than one way to say sorry.

Sun stood and grabbed his shirt.

When Weiss left the shower twenty minutes later, it was to find a full breakfast spread on the bed. Baked treats, jams, spreads, fruit and yoghurt. Two plates, along with a bottle of freshly squeezed orange juice.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, "What's this for…?"

"My way of saying sorry?" Sun offered, smiling hopefully.

"You ordered room service?"

Sun paused for a moment, and then slapped a hand against his face.

"You ran down there barefoot, didn't you?" Weiss asked, a small, amused grin tugging at the edges of her mouth.

"I'm an idiot."

"You are," she confirmed, "But I appreciate the gesture." Weiss sat on the edge of the bed and picked up a plate. "You're forgiven. Don't do it again."

That was… surprisingly easy. Sun grabbed the other plate and heaped some fruit onto it. He'd grabbed a banana or two, something that often got him teased by his teammates, and drizzled some yoghurt on top.

"Just like that?" he asked. "You forgive me so easily?"

Weiss brought a small piece of pineapple she'd been nibbling on down. "I don't see why not. You're genuinely sorry and I _did_ hit you last night which, I might add, was more an instinctive reaction than anything." She sighed briefly. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Nah." Sun laughed. For all his whining, it was nothing compared to a spar. "I was just milking it. I've had worse walking into a door frame."

"Well, there you have it. If you deserved punishment, you've had enough. I don't see the point holding onto a grudge when you've already said sorry."

"Forgive and forget?"

"Forgive," she said. "I don't forget, and I am less likely to forgive a repeat offence."

He took the message and offered a quick salute, earning an amused snort from her. The spat the night before was quickly forgotten, or at least the awkwardness from it. "You know, I've got the feeling if you'd been Yang or Blake, you'd not have let that go so easily."

"Not Ruby?" Weiss asked.

"Pft. She'd probably have tickled me back."

Weiss smiled. "She would have. But yes, I suppose Yang and Blake are more likely to hold a grudge. I'm not. For all that people might call me cold, I'm more…"

"Critical?"

"Yes. I suppose that's an apt description. I hold people to high standards, and sometimes those standards are perhaps a little unfair," she admitted with a shake of the head. "Even so, if people make an effort to improve, I believe they genuinely deserve praise. Ruby is a perfect example. I was unfair in dismissing her ability to lead, but raising the question was not improper. When she proved willing to work hard and become a better leader, I realised my mistake."

"Did you apologise?" Sun asked.

"I tried. I… I think I got it across."

"Eh, I think you probably did. Ruby definitely doesn't act like there's any bad blood between you."

"No, she doesn't. Ruby has done well in her role. Either way, my `coldness` is usually based in expectation, not in being some witch offended at the slightest thing and unwilling to accept an apology."

"I think I get it."

"Good." Weiss took a quick drink and then said, "Do you think it's a bad thing?"

Sun thought for a moment before answering, knowing Weiss would want a genuine response and not empty comments. "I think it's a Weiss thing," he said slowly, earning a raised eyebrow. "I'm cool with it. I'd rather someone tell me what I'm doing wrong and give me a chance to improve. Better than getting the cold shoulder for doing something wrong _once_."

"People make mistakes," Weiss agreed. "That's natural. It's in learning from them that we show true strength."

"Famous quote?"

"Something from my grandfather. _Father_ never agreed with it. Mistakes are to be punished and abhorred, used to set examples for others."

"Punish one to make sure no one dares do the same?"

"Essentially."

Sun bit down on some grapes. "Don't take this personally," he mumbled, "But I like you a whole lot more than I do your Dad."

"Don't speak with your mouth full," Weiss rebuked. She rolled her eyes when he grinned cheekily. "But thank you. It's not _much_ of a compliment, but I appreciate the gesture."

Breakfast was a simple and light affair, neither of them being the type for stodgy bacon and egg. Besides, fruit tasted better in Sun's opinion, being all the sweeter and a little lighter to boot. There wasn't much in the way of conversation, but the awkwardness from before was gone as well, leaving Sun feeling like they were back to being friends.

He liked that. Not just the friendship part, but how easily and quickly the whole issue had been dealt with. He'd been an idiot, Weiss had accidentally clocked him, but over a brief conversation and a light breakfast, it was dealt with.

It felt… mature. Fair.

It felt good.

Weiss offered to deal with the plates, not that there was much to deal with since room service would handle most of it, but she stacked them onto the side while he took a late shower and got ready for the day.

As the clock struck nine, they both stepped out onto the jetty in their swimsuits once more, though with shirt and a blouse tied over each comparatively. Winter stepped out of her own a moment later, looking every part the older, more developed Weiss.

She noticed the mark on his face almost immediately and raised an eyebrow in what Sun was quickly discovering was the Schnee hereditary trait for expressing surprise. "Dare I ask what happened here?"

"Sunburn," Weiss answered.

Sun gaped at her.

She smirked back. "The silly man fell asleep on the balcony and I didn't have the heart to wake him up. He caught the sun on one side of his face."

"Really?" Winter clearly didn't believe it, but just as clearly wasn't going to ask any further. "Well, I hope you'll take better care of yourself in the future, Mr Wukong. Come, Weiss. Let us talk for a while."

Weiss agreed and stepped away, smirking at Sun as she passed. She left him behind as he shook his head, slowly realising he'd been one-upped. Rather than be annoyed, Sun found himself staring after her, impressed.

"Heh. Not bad, Weiss. Not bad."

/-/

Weiss was a master of keeping a neutral expression and it was only that which let her walk back to the beach with a blank expression, rather than the mortification she felt inside. She was seventeen, but one of the more responsible seventeen-year olds in Beacon, and more than able to make her own decisions in life, thank you very much.

Winter understood that, which was nice, but Weiss _really_ hadn't needed the in-depth reminder of what birth control was available should she need it.

 _I can't believe she thought Sun and I were doing that._ Or even if Winter had believed her excuses of it being simple roughhousing, she'd still harboured the thought that they _might_ do that. And now she was recalling their position the night before, but in a far more intimate setting.

Wonderful.

More problematically, Weiss found herself not unopposed to the image. _Nothing wrong there,_ she told herself, flushing slightly. _Sun is an attractive man you're becoming closer to, and no one has ever said he doesn't have a nice body. Even Ruby has looked._

Not acted on, and Weiss personally didn't think Ruby _cared_ for romance, but that didn't make them immune to a handsome man anymore than Jaune or Neptune were immune to Yang's charms. Or more likely, her figure.

Still, Weiss didn't much appreciate Winter putting the image in her head.

 _Not to mention Blake would kill me. Or, well, she wouldn't, seeing as she's hardly made it clear whether she likes Sun or not._ Something that would change once they got back to Beacon. She had agreed to accept Sun as a friend and that meant something to her, as it did with Yang, Blake and Ruby. Whatever Blake felt for him, indecision or not, Weiss would insist it be made clear and open so as not to break his heart.

If she wasn't sure what she felt, then fine. That was okay. Sun still deserved to know that Blake was making her choice. But if she was reluctant or unwilling in any way, he deserved to know his efforts were being wasted.

Now, if only Jaune would get the same message and look elsewhere, say, to his attractive, friendly and so-obviously-into-him partner.

The boy really was an idiot.

A few men tried to catch Weiss' eye as she made her way by the pool, two even going so far as to call out for her to join them. Weiss ignored them and stepped past the poolside, down the few short steps onto the sandy beach. For someone who used to live in a desert, Sun seemed oddly fond of the beach, choosing it every time over the pool. She didn't much mind either way, but at least here there was less chance of being splashed by someone diving in the water.

Weiss located Sun easily, following the line of sight of a pair of women a few years older than her, who were staring in that way Yang sometimes did. To her surprise, he was not alone.

Azure was sat in the sand beside him, or atop a towel. The two were chatting, Azure more reservedly, but Sun with big, exaggerated motions, as if he had to _show_ everything he was talking about. Even his tail got involved, looping in the air as he said something loudly and rocked back for emphasis. Azure laughed.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Weiss wondered out loud. The answer came a moment later. "Curse that meddling woman. She's less able to take a hint than Jaune."

No, that was unfair. At least Jaune was probably making an innocent mistake or following that accursed advice from his parents he talked about so much. He wasn't malicious like Millennia Metelia, nor quite so aggravating.

"Another day with a hanger-on," she mumbled, making her way over.

She wouldn't be frightened away from her post by a potential suitor. Not when Sun had her parasol and sun cream, and Weiss' skin – like most Schnee's – had an aversion to sunlight. She did not tan. She turned red, prickled, blistered and then moulted like some horrifying lizard. A side-effect of having such fair skin.

It was not an attractive sight.

Sun noticed her approach first and leaned back, grinning at her. "Hey, Weiss. What took you?"

Even though they were in a fake relationship, he called her by her name, which, if she were honest, she preferred. Pretend or not, she didn't think she could have managed to keep a straight face if he called her `baby` or `babe`.

"Winter wanted to have a… discussion." If Sun caught the twitch of her eyebrow, he wisely kept quiet. "Just a little misunderstanding. Do you have my sun cream?"

Sun opened his bag and tossed her the bottle. He'd left a deck chair empty beneath the parasol beside him. There were numerous others free on the beach, but he never took them, saying how it stung like a bitch if his tail got caught between the slats.

Weiss mostly ignored the conversation between Azure and Sun, and the former's occasional attempts to get her involved. She focused instead on applying sun cream and doing so in a way that wouldn't require Sun's assistance. After Winter's little discussion, having his hands on her back would have been a little too much.

Luckily, Sun didn't seem to mind either way and was happy to keep Azure distracted. The conversation shifted from the resort to life as a huntsman, which normal people were often interested in. The reality was far less kind than most imagined, but Sun intentionally kept to safer, happier topics.

Like most people, Azure quickly found himself interested in aura and its applications.

"It's like a shield?"

"Kind of. It requires concentration and it's not without limits, but it's what makes us so durable. Watch." Sun, for emphasis, took the little plastic umbrella from his drink and drove the sharpened wooden cocktail stick down into his arm. It snapped under the pressure, but the shimmer of aura on his skin showed where it had failed to penetrate.

Azure was suitably impressed. "Did it stop the pain?"

"Nah. Still hurts, which is a good thing since you need to know if you're being hit. But it hurts in a different way. Blunt, not like you've been pricked with a needle because the needle isn't piercing your skin."

"That's amazing. You said it's limited?"

"Aura reserves, that's what most people call them. You have a set amount, but it regenerates over time – kind of like blood, I guess, but faster. Much faster."

"Can you gain more? Like, is it a muscle you can exercise to get more?"

"People think so, but it's hard to figure out for sure. Some people are born with more. Others with less. No one's really sure if it's tied into fitness, family, training or something else."

"If it's so useful, why is it not more readily available? People could have their aura unlocked and be safe from the Grimm."

Sun hesitated. "Well, I'm not sure on the main reason for that…"

Weiss wasn't surprised there. It wasn't something widely known, but she was a little more well-read. "It's a matter of both logistics and practicality," she explained, surprising them both by entering the conversation so suddenly. "On the one hand, you have the issue of how hard it would be to unlock every person's aura. You'd have issues of how young to do so, how to gather people, how to keep track and how to convince everyone that it is a good idea. We still have people who reject vaccines in today's world," she scoffed, "so you can imagine that some would turn down aura as well."

"But more than that, there is an issue of how much use it would be," she continued. "Sun's little display with the cocktail stick, while accurate, doesn't paint the picture fully. His being able to stretch aura instinctively to that location, and in enough quantity to dull so much pressure pushed into a single point, is a result of years of training and concentration. Aura is not automatic, nor is it something that responds well if you are panicked or distracted. The average person, even with their aura unlocked, would be unable to focus it properly, and that's to say nothing of their ability to do so if a Beowolf was actively trying to kill them."

"It's simply not feasible. You could try to train people, but that would take even more time – both theirs and that of huntsmen tasked to train them. Even should it work, all you create are people who can _survive_ a Grimm attack for longer, but who are still unable to fend the Grimm off. Aura is finite, so even if it allowed someone to survive a few hits, it would not change the situation."

"That…" Azure's face fell. "I can't argue with it, but that seems unfair…"

"Hey. Weiss isn't saying she _likes_ it," Sun chided, "She's just telling you what the reasoning is."

Weiss nodded, secretly a little grateful for the words. "I would love to live in a world where it was possible, and I don't personally believe that something should not be considered, just because it would be hard to make it work. As Sun says, I'm only giving you the reasons others have given."

It was harsh and it was unfair, and maybe it _wasn't_ something that could be rolled out over an entire Kingdom. Weiss wasn't foolish enough to think she had all the statistics, figures and analysis necessary to make such a decision.

But those in power, people like Ozpin, would have surely looked at it deeply.

Sensing the mood dipping, Sun dragged the conversation back to lighter topics of Beacon and some of the people there, drawing Azure in. In turn, Azure spoke of some of his own efforts on the island, often with regards to limiting the impact it had on the local ecology. Without really realising it, he'd started to gesture like Sun did, and was grinning wildly.

At least until his scroll went off. "Oh, excuse me."

"Sure thing." Sun waved a hand.

The call, from what Weiss could see, was not going well. Azure spoke briefly and tersely, trying to get in sentences but being cut off. Eventually, he sighed and ended the call. "I have to go, I'm afraid. Mother has arranged a fitting for the dance and I have to attend. The tailor has been called in from Mistral and-" He cut off, no doubt realising how that sounded. "W-Well, I can't really make him wait. I apologise."

"Eh, no problem, man." When Azure paused awkwardly, Sun gave her a little nudge with his elbow.

Weiss rolled her eyes, but capitulated. "Good luck, Azure."

He seemed pleased to have gotten that and jogged off.

The moment he was gone, she looked to Sun, "Adopting strays now? What part of him being a problem do you not understand?"

"The part where _he's_ the problem. He's alright."

"He's trying to force my hand. Literally."

"Not saying that's great or anything, but as long as he knows you're off limits, it's not a problem. Besides, he's more intelligent than he gives off."

"Not a difficult thing. He acts like a jock."

"Acted." Sun challenged. "I think he was pulling that because he thought it's what you wanted."

"And now I feel even more insulted."

"Be nice." Sun poked her side but didn't push his luck by trying anything more. Wise of him. "You heard him go on about the animals, though. He's really passionate about this place."

"As he should be. Everyone should be passionate about their work or should seek alternative employment if they're not. There's nothing worse than someone who wilfully forces themselves to do something they dislike, when they have the capability to change that."

"Not everyone can," Sun pointed out.

"Azure Metelia is not everyone. He is born to a rich family. If he really wished to avoid earning my ire, he could choose not to play along with his mother's games. That he does not is his issue, no matter his feelings on the matter."

"Even if it upsets his parents?"

"Even then," Weiss said. "I did that. Winter did the same."

"Not everyone is as strong as you, Weiss. Maybe he just needs someone to believe in him."

"And that someone is going to be you?"

Sun laughed. "Sure. Why not?"

Weiss scoffed and rolled her eyes, but she didn't call him an idiot. He was naïve and idealistic, but if there was one thing she'd learned about Sun, it was that if he said he was going to do something, he'd give it his best shot. She didn't doubt for a second he'd try and follow through. Whether he'd succeed or not was up in the air, but it wouldn't be for lack of effort.

"You're too soft-hearted."

"You're too jaded."

Weiss paused at the odd adjective. "Most would say cynical."

"Cynical is someone who isn't willing to give others a chance to prove them wrong, someone who always sees the bad in things no matter what. I don't think you're that. Jaded is when you've been let down so many times you no longer have the energy to look for the best in people."

The words hit her in the gut and brought up so many memories, not just of her father, but also her mother, Whitley, the people she'd thought she might call friends and even her `so-called fans` when she was a singer. She hadn't always been so critical, nor so mistrusting.

"You just need more people to prove them wrong and surprise you. I figure Ruby managed it, but it's going to take a while to get past the amount of times you've been disappointed."

Again, he wasn't wrong, and now that she thought about it, perhaps her surprise with Ruby _was_ a factor. She'd assumed Ruby would be just like everyone else and let her down, and in being proven wrong, she'd been equal parts surprised and pleased.

Even so, she didn't much appreciate Sun's digging. "Please don't tell me you're going to appoint yourself to that task."

"Sure," Sun said, echoing his earlier statement, except this time with a huge grin. "Why not?"

Gods, he was such an idiot.

Soft-hearted, but a complete idiot.

/-/

The card was thin, clear white with a snowflake etched into it in pale blue. It was in pristine condition, and probably had access to funds the average person could only dream of. It was not something that most people would expect to see, let alone hold in their hand.

"You sure it's okay for me to use this?"

"Do you intend to steal it and run off into the sunset?"

"Uh. No?"

"Then yes, it's fine." Weiss shuffled about in their room, one bag over her shoulder, the other looking for something or other she'd hidden in their room by accident. "I'd go with you, but Millennia," she hissed the name, "has arranged for herself, Winter and I to try on our dresses as a female bonding session."

The tone of Weiss' voice made it clear the only `bonding` that might occur would be on a molecular level, and if her patience was pushed so hard she'd punch the older woman in the face.

"What I mean is, is it legal for me to use this?"

"Ah." Weiss made a sound of understanding. "It's legal, yes. That's not a personal credit or debit card. It's a business card. You won't even have to put in a pin or sign anything; it will simply charge the SDC directly."

"And it's okay for me to do that?"

"I have free reign over who I let use it. Besides, this _is_ a business meeting, so a suit for you is a legitimate business expense. You'll be fine."

"I'm not really all that big on fashion…"

"Luckily, you won't have to be. It is the responsibility of any sales staff to assist you, and considering who you will be attending with, you can rest assured that white or cream is the best option. Pale blue if you wish to try it." She paused and looked him up and down. "Don't try it."

"I'll take your word for it. So, just pay with this? It feels a little…"

"If you say `emasculating`, I will follow through with the threat."

"Not that," he said with a laugh, "I meant it feels more like I'm taking advantage of you."

Weiss nodded, understanding, but that did not mean she was any less blunt. "Don't be foolish. You are here pretending to be my boyfriend to assist me. If anything, I am taking advantage of you. Funds to procure a suit should be expected. It would be ruder of me not to."

Well, there was _some_ logic there, and considering how unusual the situation was, _some_ was more than he'd expected. "Alright. Any limits?"

"None you should worry about."

"White or cream," he said, just to be sure.

"I'm a Schnee. If I arrive in anything other than white, the world will die of shock." Another roll of her eyes.

Sun personally wondered what she'd look like in black or red. His first thought was `damn fine`, but that didn't tell the whole story. Her hair might wash out brighter colours. As he'd said, he was no expert on fashion. He barely even wore a shirt!

"Okay, I'll get gone. You… uh… have fun on your girls' night out?"

"If you hear fireworks, assume I've committed murder," Weiss deadpanned.

Sun laughed, then, for the sake of it, played along, "If that happens, do I secure us escape transport first or come to help you clean up the evidence?"

"Don't be silly, Sun. I have a legal team for disposing of evidence." The worst part was that from her smile, he couldn't quite tell if she were being honest or not. "Now go. Stop distracting me, as much as we both might wish we could escape this."

"Sure thing." Sun made his way over to the door, but paused in the opening to call back, "I might call my team after. Want me to pass a message on?"

"Only that I'm sorry I couldn't call. Tell them I'm okay."

"Got it!" With a final wave, Sun let the door close. He flipped Weiss' card up and caught it quickly, stuffing it away in his shirt pocket. "Let's not lose you, buddy."

It was getting on toward the afternoon and the sun had become a little more forgiving, still hot but with a gentle breeze and not quite so much glare. There were people still out, and considering that the pools were heated, they would continue to be out until well past midnight when the bars closed. The restaurant was also filling up, and according to Weiss, Jacques would be there with Martin Metelia and Azure, giving him free reign to get his work done without interruption.

Azure wasn't going to interfere. Sun was fairly sure of that. Jacques, though? The man was too hard to read. It was disappointing, really. As a faunus, he'd heard no end of horror stories about the SDC and Jacques Schnee, but he'd liked to think himself clever enough to look past propaganda. People liked to hate individuals over unassailable and impersonal companies or groups. While there was no smoke without fire, he'd always assumed at least a little of the hate levelled at Jacques was unwarranted.

After meeting him and seeing him interact with Weiss, Sun was no longer quite so certain.

 _Just goes to show not everyone with parents is better off than I was,_ he thought. Life as an orphan in Vacuo had been hard, but the people there hadn't been particularly cruel. He'd done alright, mostly by banding up with fellow orphans and looking out for one another. Through it all, he'd wondered in idle moments what it might be like to have parents.

Somehow, he'd imagined it being better than this.

Well, at least Weiss had come out okay. Great, even. Compared to Jacques, she was downright friendly, and considering how she was with both him and Blake, she didn't subscribe to any of his faunus policies. It pissed Sun off that there were some assholes out there claiming she did, all without meeting or listening to a word she said.

Then again, the White Fang just wanted to blame anyone and everyone. Not an opinion he'd share in front of Blake, but he'd been perfectly honest the first time she asked what he knew about them.

Stupid holier-than-thou creeps who use force to get whatever they want.

Blake hadn't appreciated that, but what did she want?

They were exactly that.

Shaking such thoughts off, Sun paused in the main foyer and briefly glanced over the hotel's numerous shops. Most were branded and probably rented by companies to open an outlet here, and they spanned a few different things from general holiday supplies to suitcases and beauty products. One, however, was a men's fashion store, and judging from the formalwear in the window, it was what he was looking for.

The door beeped electronically when he entered. There was a middle-aged man behind the counter inside who looked his way as he entered. Sun nodded back and wandered down one aisle, towards the lighter-toned suits in the back.

 _A white suit, huh? Man, I could really use Neptune right now._

Would white work with his hair and skin tone? He'd always assumed black was safe since it worked with everything, but if Weiss said to go lighter, he was going lighter. Maybe black would have been better if he was going with Blake.

Which he would be, if this all went well.

The thought brought a small smile to his face, but that was all. He couldn't find it in himself to be all that excited, probably because that still felt a long way away and was dependent on his success here.

Not really knowing what to look for, Sun reached out to rub a piece of fabric between his thumb and forefinger. Soft on the outside with a lining on the inside. There wasn't much else to say about it and he wasn't sure what he was expecting.

 _Not like one is going to jump out and pick me. Just choose one, try it on and see what it looks like._

A cream suit jacket and trouser combo stood out. Sun checked his size and pulled the coat hanger down, along with a pale blue shirt. He looked around for a changing room, and suddenly noticed a security guard in the corner of the store, watching him. He hadn't been there before.

Sun broke eye contact first, looking back around the rest of the store. There was a curtained off area to the side of the main counter. It could have been a changing room or just a back room he wasn't allowed into. Playing it safe, Sun approached the main desk, suit in hand.

The man there looked up. "Can I help you?"

"Hope so." Sun flashed him a friendly smile. "Is that a changing room over there? I need to try this on."

The salesman looked down to the suit and then back up to Sun. "Sir, that is a very expensive suit."

"Uh. Yeah." Sun glanced at the price tag and back. Everything in the store was expensive, which meant he didn't really have much of a call in how much or little of Weiss' money he spent. "That's not a problem, though. More of a problem is whether it fits or not."

"Not from our point of view, sir. The suit is _very_ expensive."

It took the security guard moving up to stand nearby – a little off to the side, but close enough to be in sight – for Sun to figure out what was going on.

"You're asking me if I can afford it." When the man didn't protest, Sun laughed. "Do you do this with all your customers? Seems like it would upset some people."

"Sir, there is no reason to get angry."

"I'm not angry," Sun said honestly. "Not surprised, either," he added, though he thought he ought to have been. He noticed the security guard's hands fall to the walkie-talkie on his hip and quickly spoke, "Never mind. Yes, I can afford it. Do you want me to pay in advance? I can." Sun offered Weiss' card.

The man behind the counter looked down at it and gasped. He recognised the symbol and what it meant, but when he looked back up to Sun, his expression was suddenly nervous. Sun knew what the response would be even before the man stepped back, putting an obvious distance between them.

"I don't think we can serve you, sir."

Sun's grin was bitter, mocking. He let his tail waft up behind him. "Because I'm a faunus?"

The security guard moved up behind him and tapped his shoulder. "Excuse me," he said, voice deep and brassy, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Leave. Why?"

"You're causing a scene."

"I'm trying to buy a suit," Sun said, and laughed for the sake of the situation. "I mean, all I'm asking is if there's somewhere I can try it on. I've even offered to pay up front."

"Sir," the security guard said, "I've asked you to leave. If you do not, I'll be forced to escort you out."

Sun wanted to ask him and what army, wanted to laugh, to point out that it wasn't _him_ causing a scene but the guy behind the counter who assumed he was lying just because of what he was. He wanted to do all that and more but didn't.

It wouldn't have made a bit of difference.

The man behind the counter looked nervous and out of his depth. The security guard was stern and uncompromising, one hand on his belt, ready to call for help if he needed it. They'd already decided what was going on. Nothing he said would fix it.

Sun forced himself to smile as he hoisted the suit up onto the counter, leaving it there for the store to sort out. He could have thrown it down but that would just prove them right. He wasn't about to do that. He stayed quiet instead, looking the bothered cashier in the eye and maintaining a friendly, pleasant smile.

The cashier took it and drew it back, brushed a hand on the sleeve where Sun had touched it, too, brushing off dust. Or maybe imaginary bits of hair.

Sun kept his head up as the security guard placed a hand on his shoulder and steered him out of the store. As the door clicked shut behind him, he let out a sigh, noticing that the guard had chosen to stand outside the store now, making it clear any attempt to enter would be obstructed.

It would be easy to call Weiss and get her to come down and sort it out. She would. She'd come with the fury he'd come to expect of her, hot and raging, _furious_ at what she would see as not only pointless racism, but also god-awful customer service. She'd rant, rave and by the end of the day, the people working here would be out of a job.

It would be easy to manage that. Real easy. Harder to walk away. Be the bigger person. Harder, but not impossible. Sun kept walking, head held high, hands in his pockets. When a few people looked his way and smirked, accurately guessing what had gone on, he ignored them.

He wasn't going to rely on violence to get what he wanted.

Maybe Nep could help him out.

* * *

 **Well, there we go. I can imagine a few people being unhappy at Sun's perceived passivity in response to the rather insidious racism shown here. I know people tend to like seeing people in those situations kick ass and take names. Sun certainly could have here, being a huntsman, but ask yourself what doing so would prove.**

 **Either way, it's an issue that will continue in the next chapter. It's not ignored or over in any way.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 18** **th** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	7. Chapter 7

**So, in last chapter I decided to tackle the idea of racial profiling and, well, I won't say that I put a trap in it, but one sort of naturally evolved that I honestly didn't see coming. I won't call people out because this is fiction and that's a dick move, but since a few claimed it, I'll explain. Some people felt that the shopkeeper wasn't racist at all but rather just noticed that Sun had Weiss' card, and assumed it was stolen.**

 **If you look back, you should be able to see that isn't the case. Sun doesn't show the card until after the profiling occurs, until after the cashier decides he needs security called just because a faunus walks in. After the security confronts Sun for doing nothing wrong because they assumed he was getting angry. And after the cashier tells him multiple times they won't serve him. Only after all of that did they see the card, but even so, they never took it off him - proving Weiss' point about it being perfectly okay earlier to be correct. The idea that he looks scruffy as some said, wouldn't even apply. This is a beach resort. Sun in shorts and an open shirt is actually dressed appropriately here. And since it was a resort for the wealthy, the shop cashier would have known Sun _could_ have the money. However, he decided that, despite those facts, it couldn't be true _because_ Sun was a faunus. **

**This is racial profiling.**

 **Those saying the cashier simply knew Sun had a card that didn't belong to him is immaterial because a) Weiss already said that's perfectly legal earlier in the chapter and b) the cashier had already called security and refused to accommodate Sun** _ **two times**_ **, before the card was even revealed, and c) the card wasn't taken away from him by security, so they knew it was allowed.**

 **It would have actually made no difference if he had Weiss' card, his own, or even just a stack of cash. The profiling began the moment he entered a store I specifically described as being empty _except for the cashier_ and then had security called on him when he didn't do anything wrong or unusual. **

**This AN isn't meant to be political, because this is a fake world and real-world politics has no part here, but I thought I'd point this out because quite a few people seemed to think the cashier did nothing wrong last chapter.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Terakali

 **Chapter 7**

* * *

"That son of a bitch!"

"Dude, it's not a big deal." Sun laughed over the intercom, not at all surprised that Neptune had asked just _why_ he needed help getting a suit, or that he was angry to hear the story. "If they want to make a meal over my being a faunus, let them. They're the immature ones."

"It _is_ a big deal, Sun. If I was there…"

"Then we'd be having this exact same conversation, but I'd have dragged you away," Sun said with a grin.

"Yeah, that sounds about right. Still!" Neptune muttered something off-screen, likely filling in Sage and Scarlet. An angry curse came from the right. "Alright, fine. I'll see if I can order something and get it shipped over, but that's going to be tough. Expensive, too."

"I'll pay you back."

"Like hell you will." Neptune sighed. "Look, just tell Weiss and she'll probably pay me back or something. She was going to buy you the suit anyway."

"I… was kinda hoping not to tell her…"

Neptune was unimpressed.

"It's just that she'll overreact-"

"Good!"

"-And cause a scene, and that'll be bad for her right now. She's got all this family stuff going on, you know. I'm supposed to be here to make that easier, not cause more problems."

"You're not the one causing those problems."

"It's the same thing, Nep."

"Ugh." Neptune leaned back and grumbled something under his breath. "Can't I feel better imagining that bastard getting what he deserves?"

"Sure. I'm imagining it myself. Just not going to waste my time doing it."

Neptune laughed. "Alright, alright, I get it. I'm still angry, but you can look after yourself, I guess. Not telling Weiss, though. I don't see that working. Hear me out," he said. "You're gonna have to give her card back. Don't you think she's going to ask where the suit it? Even if she doesn't, it'll only take her a quick check to see there's no money that's come off it, and I'm not going to be able to afford to buy you a tailored suit. It's going to be obvious you didn't buy it there."

Neptune had a point. "Ah, crap. Advice? You're the guy good with the girls."

"As if you don't have your own fans back in Haven. As for Weiss, I don't know. You've probably spent more time with her than I have by now."

"Yeah, I guess so. Guess I'll just need to bring out the big guns."

"Admit the truth and beg for mercy?"

"Yep."

"Gods, Sun. And sometimes you wonder why you're still single."

"Eh, Weiss is no idiot," Sun said. "If I try and lie, she'll figure it out in an instant. She's scary-smart. Guess I'll have to come clean and try and stop her going on the warpath. She's not like how you hear most Schnee are. She'd hunt the poor guy down."

"You sound pleased."

"I am, I guess. I mean, even if I know it's petty, it makes me feel good that you and the guys have my back and knowing Weiss would go down there and give that bastard a telling off is the same thing. She's cool like that."

Neptune grinned knowingly. "Cooler than Blake?"

Sun froze. "I didn't mean it like that, man..."

His partner didn't look upset. "You know, for all that you act like it, Weiss and I aren't actually dating or anything. We've not even asked one another out to the dance yet, and there's still time to think about it. You could-"

"You two are going," Sun interrupted. He knew what Neptune was about to say but refused to hear it. "Trust me, Weiss likes you. We've talked about you a lot."

Neptune laughed nervously. "If that isn't ominous, I don't know what is…"

"Good things, man. I'm your personal wingman."

"Sure you are. Alright, I'll take your word for it. But I wouldn't be upset if you and her got-"

"Dude, enough. Just… help me get a suit. I'll handle Weiss. Make sure she doesn't freeze the whole island solid or something. Talk to you soon. Oh, and can you pass a message on to her team? Tell them she's fine. Sorry she couldn't talk but she's been dragged off for business stuff."

"I'll tell them. Look after yourself, Sun. And remember, whatever happens, we've got your back."

"I know, man. I know. Talk to you later."

The screen went black a moment after Sage and Scarlet appeared waving like loons, leaving Sun to pluck his scroll out the terminal with a huge smile. Already, the unsettling feeling in his gut was gone. His team were good at picking him up when he was feeling down. Real friends did that. Hopefully, they'd come through on the suit, or he'd have to get Weiss to buy him one. Considering it would mean her facing the guy who'd kicked him out, he didn't want that.

For Weiss' sake more than the cashier's.

/-/

"Oh Weiss, you look positively delightful!"

Weiss grimaced as Millennia fussed over her, complimenting her skin, hair and the way the skirt showed off her toned legs. The usual things people thought to compliment her over and not, for instance, her hard-worn skills or intellect. Not that she'd expected anything more of a woman who saw her as either a breeding sow for her son or some form of advancement by marriage.

At least she had Winter for company. As they said, misery shared was misery halved, and Weiss was relieved to know she wasn't the only one wishing she could put the obnoxious woman's head through a macerator. Winter was simply better at hiding it.

Weiss tried, "Thank you, Mrs Metelia."

"I've told you to call me Millennia, Weiss."

 _And I've not given you permission to call me by my name, but that doesn't seem to bother you._ It was what she wished to say, but given father's desire for the resort, it would be a bad choice. He might push for her to leave Beacon, saying it had `corrupted` her or some such nonsense. She would refuse, naturally, and he would be forced to either accept that or escalate the situation.

Considering what he was like, being disowned seemed likely.

"Millennia, then." Another grimace. "Surely this dress will do. There's little reason to try another."

"Now, now, it wouldn't do not to look your best."

"I'm quite content as I am."

Millennia looked to Winter and smiled indulgently, as though sharing a joke over the impatience of children. As a result, she missed Weiss bristling. "Young people. Always so impatient and eager. Azure is so much like you, dear, but you have you need to remember that events like this don't come about every day."

"I have another dance at Beacon in a little over a week."

"That's different, dear." Millennia made it clear the option to back out wasn't on the table by picking up another dress in pale blue and holding it out. "Here, try this one on. A favourite from Marceu Beauroux. Wonderful label; very refined. I had the pleasure of meeting the man himself at a formal dinner last year."

Expensive, gaudy and with more frills than were necessary. Weiss sighed and accepted it, turning and tugging the previous dress off with no care for the two other women in the room. She wasn't unused to changing in public after living with Team RWBY for so long.

"Azure is having his own fitting at the moment," Millennia continued, "Tailor-made, of course. He does so take after his father in that regard, though I dare say he's a little more masculine than my Martyn was. A much more `rough and ready` young man, really." She giggled. "I'm sure he'll look positively dashing."

"I'm sure," Weiss said noncommittally when the woman paused, making it clear a response was expected. She had a feeling he _would_ look good, as groomed and polished as he was. Better than Sun, at least, who she imagined would look horribly out of place in a stuffy suit. The image amused her more than she thought it would and she smiled.

"Ah, to be young again," Millennia said, misreading it. "Back when passions would run high. Why, at your age I'd already met Martyn. His father introduced him at a charity dinner. My mother suggested we meet again and, well, the rest happened from there. It was so very romantic."

It didn't sound it. Weiss glanced to Winter and caught the brief roll of her sister's eyes that confirmed she felt the same way. Such stories were not unusual, however, especially among the elite. Weiss had been introduced to many young men from as early as fourteen years of age. Obviously, her father hadn't been suggesting she marry any at such an age, but it was designed to foster bonds between influential individuals, the better to keep that influence – and the wealth and power associated – among the assembled families. And should that co-operation lead to a joining of ties down the line, then all the better.

As she'd grown older, more than a few of those `family friends` had begun to make their intentions clear. Expensive birthday gifts, personalised letters, poetry – even flowers or a chance meeting after one of her concerts.

There had never been much `chance` involved in those.

Though, to be fair, she'd never given those pompous idiots a chance either, so maybe it all worked out.

In a way, that was perhaps why she'd reacted so positively to Neptune. He'd been random, unexpected, and altogether interested more in what he saw than what he knew of her. It wasn't the _best_ reason to like someone, but then it was hardly for marriage. All she was doing was returning someone's interest. Had she done that at one of her father's dinners, it would have sent waves. The families would already have met and planned out a potential future for the two of them.

Not for the first time, Weiss wondered what had driven Winter to join the military, and whether it had been a similar proposal.

"That dress!" Millennia clapped her hands together excitedly. "That's definitely the one. I knew you would look wonderful in it, Weiss."

She did, she supposed, but it wasn't exactly comfortable. It was bare shouldered, which meant it had to garner its support elsewhere. "I preferred the second myself. This is a little tight…"

"Come Weiss, a little discomfort is a small sacrifice to look so beautiful."

Weiss grimaced but didn't argue. At this point, it was easier to accept and not have to deal with any more fittings. She was tired, hungry and cranky. "Fine. Is that all we need?"

"Yes, yes. I'll ask my personal stylist to visit you before the dance."

"That won't be necessary, Mrs- Millennia," she amended when the woman wagged a finger condescendingly. Weiss grit her teeth. "I'm more than capable of taking care of my own hair and makeup."

"I'm sure you are, but she really is good at what she does," Millennia hedged. "She might also be able to do something about this." She touched her own face.

"About what?" Weiss asked.

"About, well…" Millennia made a show of running her finger down over her left eye.

Weiss honestly didn't know what she meant for a moment, and it was only Winter's sudden step before her that clued her in. She gasped and stepped back, hand touching her scar. Had the woman really just said that?

"Weiss has already politely declined your offer, Millennia," Winter said. "Please leave it be."

"Well, she's just being polite, I'm sure. A little concealer should help and I'm sure we can make it look like nothing ever happened."

"Mrs Metelia," Winter warned.

"There's going to be photographs, of course, not to mention the dance. Do you think Weiss really wants to face all of that looking like she does?"

"I think that _my sister_ can make her own decisions. She has made hers. Please respect it."

Weiss drew a deep breath and let it go. She stepped out from behind Winter, the mask back in place. The polite smile was gone, replaced with a deep frown that no doubt tugged at the red line that cut vertically down from above her left eye to her cheek. It had never been an issue for her, and honestly, it was something she'd all but forgotten existed.

To be reminded of it, and to have it alluded that it marred her beauty, was something she had neither asked for nor wanted.

"Thank you for the offer, Mrs Metelia, but I am happy to handle my own appearance."

"But Weiss-"

"That is final."

Millennia sighed the sigh of an adult resigned to put up with a child's tantrum. "Very well. It's your decision at the end of the day. I was only trying to help."

"That is…" Ridiculous. Offensive. Prying. "Appreciated." The word tasted like sour lemon. "But I can look after myself, thank you."

Weiss turned and tugged off the dress, laying it down on the side and she pulled her casual clothes back on, tying the see-through white shirt loosely over her swimsuit. Her fingers fiddled with the buttons in obvious agitation. She gave up halfway and left the top part open.

How dare she? How dare any of them? Weiss steadied her breathing with her back to the older woman.

"I'll have Azure deliver the dress to you later, sweetie. If you want me to have him bring some makeup, just let me know."

"That won't be an issue," Weiss said, wanting at least _some_ revenge. "Sun doesn't mind my scar at all, and the only one I'm looking to impress is him."

The sour expression on Millennia's face was worth it.

/-/

Weiss stormed back to her and Sun's abode and was grateful that she ran into neither her father, Azure _or_ Sun en route. She was even more relieved to find her roommate absent. With a loud huff, Weiss let out all the frustration propriety demanded she hide. It was oddly cathartic throwing one of the cushions at the wall, though she wished it could be something that might shatter. Then again, they'd probably blame that on Sun.

Growling, she sat on the edge of her bed and spied her face in the vanity mirror opposite. Though hardly unattractive in any way, the frown she wore twisted her visage. Weiss smoothed it out with both hands, trying for a smile. She managed a neutral expression and went with that.

Her skin was smooth, her features fine and graceful. Weiss liked her eyes, as much as they were something she'd received from her father. They were cold, but the splash of colour set off what was otherwise an overly pale complexion.

The scar helped, or so Weiss had thought. No one complained about it. No one mentioned it. She didn't think Ruby had even brought it up or noticed, and Jaune certainly hadn't let it bother him, nor had Neptune or anyone else. Weiss ran a finger down it, feeling the indent cut into her skin. If it had been deeper, she might have lost an eye. All things considered, she was fortunate to have the small reminder and nothing more.

 _And I didn't cry when I received it. I kept fighting._

To hell with Millennia. She hadn't cared for the woman's opinion before, so she wasn't sure why having her scar brought up now had changed anything. Winter had scars, too. They were on her body from time as a Specialist, and so were hidden under clothing, but it was the same thing.

"I'm being stupid," she hissed, stepping back.

There was a knock on the door a moment later.

"Yes?" she called.

"It's me." Sun. "Can I come in?"

"It's your place as much as mine. But yes."

The door opened, and Sun poked his head in, smiling cheekily. "Yeah, but I figured I might not survive walking in on you getting changed or something."

"Hm. That's a good point. Well, I appreciate the gesture then."

"Yeah?" Sun looked her up and down and his eyes zeroed in on her face. She had the strangest urge to pull her hair down over her scar. "You don't look in the best of moods."

Of course he'd realise _that_. "I'm not. Where's your suit?"

"You had anything to eat?"

Her stomach grumbled. She didn't move. "Where's your suit?"

"I was thinking we could grab something to eat. Figured you'd need a chance to relax after spending time with that woman. Looks like I was right on the money."

"The suit, Sun," Weiss repeated. "Where is it?"

Sun laughed nervously. "Would you believe me if I said I'd rather answer that over dinner?"

"Yes. Because it sounds like you're trying to butter me up for something."

"Oh, I am," he said with a startling degree of honesty. "Like the strong, independent man I am, I'm wanting to get you in a good mood before I deliver the news I know will make you angry." He held out an arm and flexed a muscle theatrically. "Strong alpha male. Right here."

Weiss groaned into one hand. "You're not even _trying_ to pretend nothing is wrong…"

Sun dropped the pose. "In my defence, it's because I know you're smart enough to call me out on it. Better to not even try."

Well, that had to be the most roundabout and yet also honest compliment she'd received to date. Better than being praised for her hair or skin, at least. She didn't know if she should be angry or not that Sun was hiding something. Probably. On the other hand, if she was going to be angry either way, might as well be angry on a full stomach.

"Fine. But I don't want to eat in the restaurant. The Metelia family will be there and I am _not_ in the mood to deal with them right now."

"Sweet! Uh, there's the other restaurant, but we don't know which they'll be at. I did see a barbecue on the beach…"

"That will do."

"It will? Huh." He scratched his cheek. "Figured you wouldn't be interested in something like that."

"Food is food," she said with a little shrug, "and at least I won't have to get changed if it's on the beach. Lead on. If you're going to be delivering bad news, I might be more merciful with a full stomach."

Sun got the hint and swept the door open, "I am your humble servant."

/-/

It was more than just a barbecue on the beach by the time they arrived. There was a large bonfire going with three buffet trestles off to one side and a barbecue manned by four members of the resort's staff. There was only about forty or so people in attendance, but considering how exclusive the resort was, that was a lot. Some were dancing and drinking, while a few had set up a net for a game of late-night volleyball.

Though the night air was cool, the heat from the bonfire warmed them as they approached. Sun would freely admit that he hadn't thought this was Weiss' kind of thing, and it might not be. She was just so annoyed at something on the side that she wanted to avoid the Metelia family. _Has to be that Millennia woman,_ he thought. _No way her sister said something to get like this. Those two seem close._

He might have asked what was up, but he'd gotten to know Weiss enough to realise that if she wanted to share with him, she would do. Presumably, it was more pressure to get with Azure and stop being a huntress. They both knew it, so there wasn't much point dragging it up and making her more miserable than she already was.

Sun made a show of picking up a plate for Weiss and taking her order, ladling the best vegetables and some bread onto it and offering to pour her a glass of the assembled wine selection. Weiss, for her part, crossed her arms and looked all the more suspicious.

"I'm going to be furious, aren't I?"

"The finest wines from across the world," Sun said, mimicking a snobbish butler's voice. "All for your perusal, my dear."

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Red."

"But of course, of course." He poured the flute, bowing and presenting it as a suitor might a rose.

Weiss took it and downed the entire glass.

Sun dropped the accent. "Okay, now _I'm_ worried. If I make you angry, are you going to kill me?"

"Depends."

"On?"

"How good of a mood I'm in."

Sun laughed. "I think I'm dead."

"You will be if you don't move on and get me some food." She snatched the plate he'd been holding for her and shooed him along.

Sun let her, and brought his own behind, waiting for her to pick out some beef and chicken before he took some for himself, forming a burger with the bread. Weiss also picked a kebab of cooked vegetables with some pork, and, to his surprise, bit into it voraciously.

"Wow, you really were hung- ow!" He winced where she'd poked his ribs.

"Don't call a girl out on how she eats. Besides, you have no idea how tiring it is to be forced into tight dresses for an hour and a half. I wasn't offered so much as a glass of water."

He really didn't know what that felt like. "Physically tiring or mentally?"

"The dresses were physically exhausting. _Millennia_ was mentally and emotionally taxing."

"People making assumptions about you without getting to know you?"

"Or caring to," she agreed.

"I know that feeling." He flicked his tail to the side for emphasis.

Weiss nodded and the two of them finished their meals in relative silence, watching the embers from the bonfire curl up into the night sky. He figured it might have been romantic, were either of them really interested in that. Instead, it was comfortable and warm. Almost a little too hot, really.

"Wanna go for a swim?"

Weiss looked at him askance. "Now?"

"Sure. Not like we'd be the only ones." There were a few people splashing or swimming about. "Besides, you always say how you can't go swimming during the day because of how hot it is. No chance of sunburn now."

"Okay."

Surprised, Sun blinked. "Yeah?"

"Sure." Weiss put down her plate on a nearby table and kicked off her sandals. She peeled off her shirt, dropping it to the sand.

Sun was quick to follow, dumping his shirt beside hers and grinning madly. "Race you."

"I didn't-"

Sun sped off without giving her a chance to finish. He hit the surf quicker and dived into the shallows, sure to angle himself properly so that he cut through the waves and didn't hit the seabed. Lazily, he paddled out until the water was about waist high – stomach or so for Weiss.

She caught up a good ten or fifteen seconds later.

"I won."

"I never agreed to a race!"

"Still won." He grinned cheekily. "Do I get a prize?"

"No."

"Mean."

Weiss huffed and splashed him with one hand. When he made to do it back, she shot him a warning glare.

"What, so you can do it but I can't?"

"Exactly."

"How is that fair!?"

"Who said I was a fair woman?"

"Eh. That's fair. Or not," he added. "I still won the race, though. You can't take that away from me. I will forever know that I bested Weiss Schnee this day."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Fine. You won. Congratulations. Your prize is my eternal admiration for your ability to run into a body of water." She clapped sarcastically. "Go you."

"This is the proudest moment of my life," Sun sobbed, wiping a fake tear from one eye.

"Idiot." Despite the insult, Weiss _did_ smile, which he considered a victory. She stood in the water, leaning back into the waves that occasionally reached up to caress her shoulder blades. Even if she wouldn't admit it, he'd sprinted at full speed and swam just as hard. For her to reach him only ten seconds later meant she'd put some serious effort in.

"Guilty as charged. It's nice to be an idiot sometimes, though."

"Hm. I might agree if I had the opportunity. Unfortunately, that's not available here."

"Your father isn't watching now."

"You don't know that. Neither of us do." Weiss sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "It is… aggravating. I appreciate what you're trying to do, what you've been trying to do, helping me relax. I really can't afford to, however."

"That must suck." He let his arms sift through the water. "Do you at least get to relax back at Beacon?"

"Yes." Her smile became a little more honest. "Don't worry, my life isn't _always_ this complicated." Her eyes opened, meeting his. "Speaking of which, are you going to tell me why you came back without the suit I sent you to collect?"

Reluctantly, Sun did.

Weiss' reaction was about what he expected.

"Those… Those stupid bigots!" She began to swim toward the shore. Sun headed her off, blocking her with his body. Rather than swim around him, she pushed right up into his face, staring at him. "Out of my way."

"Weiss…"

"Move, Sun."

He wanted to, he really did. Getting out the way was easier than dealing with Weiss like this. "I don't think I should."

Her nostrils flared as she took an angry breath.

"Are you _siding_ with them!?"

"For profiling me?" he asked with a laugh. "No. Of course not. Look, Weiss, what they did is wrong, don't get me wrong. They're idiots – racist idiots - but they're not worth my time, and they sure as hell aren't worth yours."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this! You want me to let them get away with it?"

"I want you to focus on the bigger picture…"

"I am! You need a suit. They are preventing you from getting one. They need to be dealt with."

"Or," Sun countered, "I could tell you my size and you could pick one up. No fuss." He knew he wasn't getting through when her shoulders tensed. Lacking any idea what to do, but sure she'd push past him and _find_ those responsible, he grabbed her by the arms. "Weiss, don't."

"Let. Go."

"You want to help me, I get it," he said quickly. "You're not like your father; you actually care about faunus. I love that, I really do. We're lucky to have you. But if you go find them and make a scene, your father is going to find out about it. What happens if he blames that on me?"

Weiss stilled. "I'll tell him it was my fault."

"And if he punishes you for it?"

"It will be my punishment to take."

"What if he disowns you?" Sun asked. "What if he puts your brother in line to inherit the SDC? Blake's told me what your plans are, Weiss. You're going to do a whole lot of good for the faunus. You can't do that if you lose it all now, and I don't want to be responsible for that happening."

"But…" Weiss slumped in his hands. He adjusted to hold her weight, as slight as it was.

"No buts. I'm angry, you're angry, but you've got to focus on the bigger picture. This is all just a fake relationship. Nothing that happens here is going to matter once we go home."

Weiss' shoulders fell. "How can you put up with this?"

"Not happily," he admitted, "But the thing is, there's a lot of petty people out there. If I spent my time trying to change the minds of every single one of them, I'd never have a chance to live my life."

She huffed. "Refuse to fight petty battles?"

"Pretty much. It's not that I don't want change – every faunus does – but I'm not going to let every little thing get me down. And… I don't want it to get you down, either. You've got a whole load of shit going on right now and you don't need this adding on top, let alone the fallout of it if you go give that store a piece of your mind."

"I-" Weiss grit her teeth. "I just hate this. You came to help me, yet it feels like you're getting the short end of things."

"Does it?" Sun laughed. "Feels the other way from my point of view. Sure, I get _one_ asshole-"

"Two," Weiss interrupted. "My father counts."

"Two, then, but he'd have hated _whoever_ you brought. But I get two assholes who hate me for what I am. At least I know when this ends, I can go off and forget they ever existed. Your future is on the line, and not just in terms of an arranged marriage. That has a whole lot more weight than some idiot chucking me out a store."

Sun hoped she understood. It wasn't that he was making light of what had happened to him, but they had to have priorities. They could either focus on Jacques and the Metelia, stopping their plots, or they could deal with one racist shop owner. It was an easy choice, or so he hoped.

Weiss' head fell against his chest.

Sun froze.

"I hate this…"

"Weiss…?"

"You're right," she said, voice soft, defeated. "You're absolutely right. I hate it, but I can't fault your reasoning. As much as it would make me feel better to scream and shout, father would use it against me. Or against you, saying you're a corrupting element."

Sun relaxed just a little. He let his hands, already on her arms, gently rise to her shoulders. "So, you'll let it go?"

"I won't let it go, but… I won't cause a scene, either."

He smiled. "That's all I ask."

"You were right about the other thing, too."

"Hm?"

"This has made me furious. Filling me up first was a good idea."

He laughed, hooking an arm around her shoulder and drawing her in. "I had to butter you up somehow, and I can't imagine that old crone eats anything but salad and peanuts. Nothing that would let her go beyond a size ten."

"She is-" Weiss trailed off as she looked towards the shore. "Oh no… not now."

"What is it?" Sun jumped a little when Weiss dragged him around so that his back faced the beach, his body shielding hers from view. It didn't take a genius to figure out who it was. "Azure?"

"If only." Weiss grimaced. "It's his entire family, not to mention father. I… I can't deal with them right now, Sun. I just can't."

He got the message. `Get me out of here`. His eyes flicked back to the beach, noting the distinct lack of people. The partiers were spread out, meaning there wasn't much of a crowd to get through, and with his tanned skin and Weiss' hair, they were going to stand out.

On the other hand…

"You're a good swimmer, right?"

"Of course." Weiss nodded confidently. Her eyes followed his and widened. "Ah, you propose we swim out and around, back to the pier and our lodge." It wasn't an overly long swim, but it would mean going into deeper water. Not a big issue for someone with no fear of the ocean.

"Think you can make it, princess?"

Weiss snorted. "Who do you think you're talking to? Of course I can. In fact…" The only warning he received was her coy smile, before she jumped up off the seafloor and placed her feet on his chest. "How about a rematch?"

Sun ate salt water as Weiss kicked him back, launching herself off his chest and cutting through the waves. She dove under, swimming quickly along the sea floor. Spluttering, he fought his way back up and gasped for air. "L-Like that, is it?" Catching his breath, he dove forward. "You're on!"

He cut through the cold water with long, powerful strokes, closing in on the foam ahead that heralded Weiss' progress. At Mistral, he hadn't had much chance to swim, but back home in Vacuo, it was an old tradition and a much-appreciated chance to get out the burning heat. He was a good swimmer and closed the gap fast.

Not fast enough, however. Weiss had the head start thanks to her little trick and reached the wooden posts that supported their lodge only ten or so feet ahead of him. "I win!" she called, looking back with a smug grin.

"You cheated," Sun said, panting as he treaded water.

Weiss gasped for breath as well, winded. "No more than you did before. I still win. What was it you said? Ah yes, you shall forever remember the day you _failed_ to best Weiss Schnee. Also, do I get a prize?"

Her mocking smile had him laughing loudly. "I concede, I concede. I'm no match for you. And sure, whatever prize you want."

"Hm. I think I'll save it and decide later."

Sun rolled his eyes and looked back to shore. "You think our shirts and sandals will still be there tomorrow?"

"Probably not. I'll buy us new ones."

"Fair." Sun let himself sink to the seabed and kicked up suddenly, lunging out the water enough to catch the overhanging balcony. He heard Weiss mutter something about there being a ladder not fifteen feet away but ignored it.

Once he was up, he held a hand down for her.

She took it, gripping on with both hands as he pulled her up and out of the water with ease. Her body weighed so little, and his muscles weren't for show. Or not _just_ for show. "There you go," he said, helping her over the balcony with an arm around her waist.

Weiss landed softly on the wood, water dripping from both their bodies to run down between the slats. While the water had been tepid and the air by the bonfire warm, it was colder so far out, and Weiss shivered, instinctively moving a little closer to his body.

He'd have been lying if he said he didn't enjoy it.

"I hope they didn't see us run away like that," she whispered.

"Your father? Nah. We were pretty far out and with the waves and everything else, I doubt he could make out any details."

"Hm." Weiss paused to get her breathing under control. "I hope so. I really don't want to have to deal with him any more than I have to."

"Going to keep using me as a shield?"

"If it keeps him away, yes." Weiss paused. "That's not how I meant it…"

"I know." Sun grinned. "I know what you really meant. Don't sweat it. I'm not going to get sensitive or be hurt if you say one thing wrong, you know. I'm tougher than that."

"You are," she said. "You're stronger than most I've met, than I ever would have given you credit for. Then again, maybe I should have known. You risked your life against the White Fang for a girl you barely knew. Is it such a big surprise you'd risk your pride here?"

He felt his cheeks heat a little at the naked praise. "Hey, it's not that special. Besides, I'm doing this for a friend. Maybe I had a couple of selfish motives at first, but they don't even factor into it now. I'm doing this for you. I want to help _you_."

She nodded against his chest. "I believe you." Her breath came out in a rush. "You still don't deserve what happened, though. That shop owner. I'll not say or do anything, but I'm not going to stop hating it. I don't know how you do it."

Weiss looked up suddenly, and Sun was caught by how vulnerable she looked. How uncertain. She was neither of those things – normally sharp-witted and intelligent, far more than he'd ever be – but in that moment, cold, wet and shivering, she didn't look quite so powerful.

Sun's tongue felt too big for his mouth. "D-Do what?"

"Put up with it. How do you go through that without being as hateful as some of the White Fang? Or even like Blake? How are you so strong?"

"The same way you are. The same way you put up with what your dad or Millennia says."

Weiss laughed bitterly. "I'm not that strong. I can keep a straight face, but my emotions _boil_ behind it."

Sun grinned. "You think mine don't?"

Weiss considered that for a second before nodding.

"Beyond that," he went on, "I rely on my friends, my team. They pick me up when I'm feeling down, when it feels like it might all get too much. And it helps when people don't feel the same way. Like you. You can't believe how much it means to me that you'd get angry on my behalf."

She huffed. "Even if you won't let me?"

"Even then. It's the fact you care enough to get angry that makes it hurt less. Makes me feel like I'm worth something."

Weiss' head snapped up, eyes meeting his. "You _are_ worth something."

Sun's breath hitched. They were already so close, chest to chest with her hair tickling his breastbone. Her eyes pierced up into his, hazy and lidded. Her body was hot against his, burning a Weiss-shaped hole in his skin.

He laughed nervously. "Mean something to you, I mean," he clarified. "Not just as some guy being given rough treatment, or someone helping you out of a bind."

"That's what I meant. I'm angry because it's you, Sun. Not some distant faunus I've never met. I was furious because they insulted _you_."

Something hot burned in his chest. Without thinking, he leaned down, hoping his intentions were clear. He hesitated, giving her a chance to back away, to stop it.

Weiss closed her eyes and tilted her head back.

It wasn't a well thought out kiss. Sun's mind was drowning in feelings he didn't understand, heady and confused. Weiss was hot in his arms, hotter than the sun, and her lips burned hotter still. He tried to be gentle, to take it soft and slow. Somewhere along the way, he forgot that he'd cared to try, and it descended into something reckless and wild.

When Weiss' arms wrapped around his neck, he forgot why he'd ever cared. Their lips fought for control. Their bodies fought to be closer, despite that they'd already been skin to skin. Weiss pushed forward and knocked him back into the railing, and Sun wrapped both arms around her waist, drawing her in deeper.

And then her hands were on his chest – pushing him away.

"No," she breathed, gasped. Her face was somehow both aflame and very, very pale. Her lips were wet, glistening. "No, no, no. We can't."

Sun let go. She took more than her warmth with her when she stepped back. Whatever it was, it left a gaping hole in his stomach. "Weiss…?"

"We can't. This… Forget this ever happened."

"I don't understand."

"This." She pointed to herself and then to him. Swallowed audibly. Didn't meet his eyes. "Us. What we-" Another quick breath. "What we just did."

"Weiss, I-"

"It was a mistake, Sun. It… It was all just one big mistake."

That night, the pillows between them felt like a wall ten-thousand feet tall.

* * *

 **Damn it, Weiss.**

 **Well, there's the chapter. As a reminder, the next one won't be for three weeks due to the Christmas break.**

 **Kind of a dick place to end it before Christmas, I know. It's just how the chapters worked out, however.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 8** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	8. Chapter 8

**A week into my "wake up at 4:30am" New Year resolution and I've** _ **already**_ **started to notice differences! I have less energy, more fatigue and am noticeably grumpier. It's great to see such immediate progress.**

 **I've also started to go to bed earlier, which somewhat defeats the point of waking up earlier in the morning to have** _ **more time**_ **.**

 **Wait a minute…**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Terakali

 **Chapter 8**

* * *

Not a word passed between them the following morning. Weiss awoke, climbed out of bed and hurried to the bathroom, hiding herself in the show as she washed and towelled herself dry. The hot water did little to erase the lingering traces of his fingers on her body, nor the feelings it brought forth. Through gritted teeth she dressed and stepped outside, breathing a sigh of relief when she realised Sun had left, likely to get breakfast. No. To avoid her; that much was obvious. But he'd pretend it was for food and she would pretend to believe him.

The less they had to talk about this, the better.

"What was I thinking?" Weiss asked herself, falling back onto the bed with an arm over her eyes. Such a lethargic position was unbefitting of a Schnee, but she couldn't bring herself to care. "Why did I let him-" No. She would do many things, but she would not lie to herself. "Why did I kiss him?"

It hadn't been planned, nor even something that had crossed her mind in any serious manner. He'd just been there, all wet and with the moonlight sparkling off the droplets of water that ran down over his chest and dripped from his wet, golden hair. Cerulean eyes piercing from the dark, lidded, heavy and focused entirely on her.

The night had been cold, the water colder, and he'd been so incredibly hot.

"Warm," she hissed, cheeks flushing. "Warm."

Damn it. Well, there was the `why`. He'd looked like some chiselled God; a marble statue, or maybe gold fit him better. He had no right to look like that around her and not expect some kind of reaction.

 _Yes, sure, let's make it all his fault. Not like I'm the one who lost control._

And goodness, that kiss. Weiss' fingers came up to her lips as she rolled onto her side, hiding her face from imaginary witnesses. It hadn't been what she'd expected, nor what she read about – not that she read the same kind of books as Blake did, but still, she'd read some famous romance stories in her time. Those books often used such poetic language as `the sun and stars lining up` or `a moment stopped in time, with only the two of them`.

That didn't describe what she'd felt. The stars? To hell with those. How could anyone in the midst of that pay attention to something up above? All she'd known was his lips, his body and his hands trailing burning patterns down her sides. All the while, it felt like she was drinking hot lava and loving every second of it. Even now, it was the heat she remembered more than anything. That and her desperate attempts to get closer to it, even though they couldn't have possibly _been_ closer. It reminded her of that old fable about the inventors who flew too close to the sun and were burned. She certainly felt she'd been.

Old fables aside, this was, as she'd said the night before, a terrible, terrible mistake. She had Neptune. Or she didn't, but she intended to let him ask her out. Blake was going to ask Sun out; it was the whole reward for this thing in the first place. It didn't matter that Blake's interest in Sun was weak at best, nor that the thought of Neptune asking her out failed to produce anything more than a vague twinge inside of her. That was the way things were supposed to be, and Weiss would not cross the line of _stealing_ Blake's man.

 _Blake always turned Sun down before, though. He's not her man at all. And last night it didn't feel like he was interested in Blake._

"No, no, no." Weiss clenched her eyes shut and rolled over so that she could release a muffled scream into her pillow. "It doesn't matter," she said as she rolled back over. "Sun has Blake and I have Neptune. This was a mistake and a… a moment of weakness. It doesn't have to happen again."

Sitting, Weiss spared a glance for the indentation in the bed he'd left behind. The mattress was still warm, his scent still vaguely there. Not an unpleasant one by any means. It would have been easier if it was.

Fleeing both, she snatched her card off the side and let herself out.

/-/

He'd messed up.

Messed up bad.

There wasn't a proper way to describe how badly he'd screwed things up, but all he had to do was recall Weiss' face as she pulled away, then imagine Neptune watching from the room inside, and all the guilt and nausea came crashing back. He had to apologise to Neptune. Beg forgiveness. But Weiss would hate him if he said anything. She'd want this buried and forgotten, a mistake to never bring up again.

He'd well and truly messed this up.

"Idiot," he grumbled. He was sat on the beach looking out into the ocean. The white sand was warm beneath him and the water lapped at his toes as it came in. So early in the morning, it was all but empty. A cool, salty breeze brushed against his skin. "All you had to do was pretend to be her boyfriend. The very reason she trusted me was because I _wouldn't_ take it seriously."

So much for that. He'd fallen for the exact thing he'd promised he wouldn't, and in doing so betrayed both her trust, Blake's, and Neptune's. Worse, he'd gotten his own hopes up without realising it. At the moment when he'd drawn her in, he'd hoped beyond all hope she would reciprocate. When she had, he'd been over the moon.

The thought of Blake hadn't even crossed his mind.

There hadn't been anything before, he'd thought. Sure, he'd noted how pretty Weiss was on multiple occasions and they'd become a lot closer since spending time together. It was hard not to when she was the only girl he knew around, and she was wearing those swimsuits. Plus, she was clever and funny with a dry sense of humour and a sharp wit. Blake was kind of the same, but her sense of humour was a little more vicious, and she could lose it in the blink of an eye, especially when she was focused on the White Fang or something else.

That was the difference between Blake and Weiss, he felt. Both had a past they weren't exactly thrilled with and both wanted to move on from it, but Blake never seemed willing to let herself. Oh, she pretended she was moving on, but the second the White Fang came back, she'd drop everything to go and fight them.

 _No. I like Blake. I'm in love with Blake._

He thought of Blake's smile, a smile so rarely directed at him. Not that she was cruel or callous, but the smiles she gave him were often a little tighter, more hesitant. Normal, he figured. Once she relaxed around him, things would be better, and it wasn't like she'd ever said she didn't _want_ him around. He'd have taken the hint if she had.

And once this was all over and done with, he'd have a date with Blake to the dance. It would be a chance to finally see if this could work. If not, he'd gracefully bow out, but he didn't want to give up on her without taking a chance.

Maybe he'd just strayed because Blake wasn't here.

That made sense.

"Sun? Are you okay?"

"Azure?" There weren't any other guys he knew on the island, but he was still surprised to see him. "What are you doing out here?"

"Saw someone looking lonely on the beach," Azure said, sitting beside him. "Realised it was you."

"And you just came over?"

"You looked like you could use someone to talk to."

"Heh." Sun looked away, back out over the ocean. Funny to think that his love rival, the proverbial enemy as Weiss put it, was here out of concern for someone he should have hated. Worse still, there wasn't an ounce of deceit in the guy's face. "You're a good man, Azure."

The purple-haired teen laughed good-naturedly. "Am I? I just thought you might want to chat. Not sure that makes me all that special." His face became more serious. "What's wrong? Did something happen between Weiss and you?"

Suddenly tense, Sun shot him a narrow-eyed look.

"I won't tell anyone," Azure promised. "I know my mom would love nothing more than to hear of problems between you, but… I'm not sure it would be possible. Me and Weiss, I mean." He smiled weakly. "Even if you weren't here, it doesn't look like she thinks much of me."

Sun felt for the guy, and not just because he was in the same spot. "Weiss doesn't know you. You're not all that bad."

"Doesn't really matter in the end though, does it? If she doesn't like me, she doesn't like me."

"Not worried about what your parents will say?"

"I am, but… I figure there's not much I can do about it. Why worry about something you can't change? But you and Weiss, when I watch you two I feel something special." His cheeks heated up a little. "I think that's what I want. Something natural. I think even if mother got her way, Weiss would never look at me like that."

Azure was making a whole lot of assumptions there. And the _last_ thing he wanted was to be where Sun was right now. Still, he knew what Azure was saying, and what he was supposed to say back. "Thanks, man. I appreciate it."

"Do you…" Azure paused, hesitated, and then continued, "Are we friends, Sun?"

"Huh?"

Sun looked at the other man, surprised by the question. Not the tone of it, uncertain as it was, but the fact it was asked in the first place. Were they friends? Not really, not by virtue of time spent together or anything they'd been through. He and Neptune were friends and they'd known one another for almost a year now. Even so, he had a feeling he could have become good friends with Azure, given time.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think we are. But I can't tell you what's wrong. It's Weiss' problem as much as mine and I don't want to betray her trust. We're still together," he lied. "It's not a break up."

"Just a little argument?"

Sun shrugged and didn't answer. An awkward silence hung between them for a few moments, broken by the sound of the surf washing up onto the sand and the distant chatter of guests waking up and attending breakfast. Eventually, Azure broke it.

"Then, as a friend, might I suggest we go and do something? Take your mind off it." Azure grinned. "Or did you want to sit here feeling sorry for yourself all day?"

"Ha. That was the plan. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, breakfast might be a start."

"Really don't want to deal with your parents right now, Azure. No offence."

"None taken. Come, I can have food delivered to my room."

/-/

There was something disturbing about the clothes store. It wasn't the layout, nor the clerk inside who smiled indulgently and sent her a friendly nod that she did not return. It wasn't even the outfits upon the racks, which led back into the store and were of a reasonable, if not spectacular, quality.

It was the fact that her reception was so much different than Sun's.

There was no security guard inside and judging from the clerk's smile, he wasn't about to call one on her. He might have recognised her distinctive hair and face, but that was no excuse. If he could recognise her as Weiss Schnee, he could surely recognise the only faunus on the island as being the date she had brought along.

If Blake were here, she'd have had words for the man. Ruby and Yang, too. Weiss wished they were here, if only so he could be put in his place without her having to do it. Not because she would shy away from such a thing, but because Sun – the fool – had asked her not to.

 _Why should I do anything he asks? We're not close. We're not frie-_

They _were_ friends and the thought they might not be stung. Weiss ignored it, pushed past and moved over to the racks containing the lighter colours, creams, whites and pale blues. She busied herself feeling the fabric, running her fingers over each one. All the while inside, her mind raged.

Sun and she could come back from this. It was a moment of weakness, a small mistake caused by hormones, the moon and the atmosphere. They would talk, realise together that this was a silly little thing neither had wanted, and then move on. Perhaps they would even be better friends for it. Weiss found herself hoping so. Though she hadn't planned it, she did like Sun. It would be nice to have another friend at Beacon, especially one not on her team. Sometimes, they were things you just wanted to talk to someone else about, or that were too sensitive for people who you lived with.

Of course, working such out would require actually talking to Sun and broaching the topic, a topic she knew she wasn't ready for _._ Selecting a white suit with pale blue shirt and white trousers, Weiss made her way towards the counter.

"An excellent choice, miss," the man said, taking it with a pompous smile. "Would you like it boxed, wrapped or would the gentleman in question like to come in for a fitting?"

"I'm sure he would, but he's apparently not-" Weiss cut off. Her fists clenched at her sides. The temptation was there, so strong. Just a single statement, just a single sign that she damn well knew what he'd done and didn't appreciate it. A sharp comment would shock him, rebuke him. He'd remember and be embarrassed by it.

It was tempting. So very tempting.

"H-He is busy," she said, body deflating with a soft hiss. "He doesn't have the time and neither do I. Just box it, please."

The man did as requested and tallied up the total cost, never once expecting her to be unable to pay. When he took the card from her, he did pause, look down at it and then look back up to meet her eyes.

He knew, she realised. He recognised it.

"Is there a problem?" she asked.

"None at all, miss." He ran it through and pushed the box across the counter when it beeped an affirmative. The card was laid on top. "Thank you for your patronage today."

 _If it wasn't for there being not a single alternative, you would not receive it._

Weiss nodded and took the box, refusing to speak or acknowledge his words. She left unchallenged, the suit tucked under one arm. It really would have made her feel better to leave victorious, a frightened and chastised man behind her, but then that was the problem, wasn't it? It would have made _her_ feel better. It wouldn't fix anything. It wouldn't help anyone. What was done was done and she had to pick her battles. Better to bite her tongue now and enact greater changes later.

Going back to their shared lodge didn't appeal to her. For one, Sun might be there. Two… well, there was no two. She just wasn't ready for the first option. Running into the Metelia family or her father was even less appealing, however.

Her team. She wanted her teammates.

Unbidden, her feet carried her towards the communications kiosk. Thankfully, it was empty. At a resort like this, people only needed to call out for business, and sporadically. Most were here to relax and get away from all that. Finding a seat at the back, as far away from the entrance as possible, Weiss slipped her scroll into the slot and hesitated.

Who did she want to call?

Not Blake, obviously. Even the thought of seeing Blake right now left a knot in her stomach. Ruby? Ruby would be a bright and happy conversation but ultimately nothing more than a distraction. That sounded promising right now, but Weiss wanted something a little more. Nervously, she called Yang. The screen went black for a few seconds, the low tone of the scroll dialling all she could hear.

Suddenly, the call was answered. The black screen spread back, peeled away as an image of Yang's face appeared, a little too close, a little too pushed up against the camera. _"Hey Weissy,"_ the irreverent girl called. _"Missing me so soon? I'm touched."_

"Don't flatter yourself, Xiao-Long."

" _Yeah, I-"_ Yang paused for a moment. _"Are you alright?"_

"Yes. Of course. Why would I not be?"

" _Well, apart from the fact you're calling me of all people. You look like shit."_

"Kind of you to say."

" _I'm serious, Weiss…"_ And if Yang's concerned expression wasn't proof enough of that, the correct use of her name was. The background behind Yang shifted, the blonde carrying the scroll somewhere, likely away from Ruby and Blake. _"Hang on,"_ she said _, "Just let me move outside a bit. There."_ From the image, Yang was now moving through the corridor outside their room, likely to the common room nearby. _"What's wrong?"_

"Nothing is wrong."

" _I'm gonna have to call bullshit on that one. Your hair isn't perfect and you look like you've been crying."_ The last was delivered in a whisper. _"Have you?"_

Had she? Weiss' fingers touched her face but found it dry.

" _Your eyes are red,"_ Yang explained.

"I've not… I haven't been crying."

" _But something is wrong."_ The camera shifted again as Yang sat down somewhere. _"You wouldn't have called if something wasn't. You can talk to me, Weiss."_

She bit her lip. "Is anyone else there?"

" _No. Blake and Ruby are in the dorm. I'd see them coming long before they did. No one else is here."_

"You'll not tell anyone…"

" _Cross my heart. If this is serious, I'll never talk."_

Weiss remained silent for a few moments even with those assurances. Yang was a rogue and a gossip at the best of times, but she had a staunch loyalty to the team. The secret of Blake being a faunus had never been so much as hinted at, nor did Yang ever make light of it. What was more, out of all of her team, Yang felt like the only one who might have any advice for her at all. Ruby was too young, Blake too involved.

"I… I may have done something terrible," Weiss admitted. "I've made a horrible mistake."

To Yang's credit, she didn't try to lighten the situation. _"I'll listen."_

"It's… It's about Sun."

" _Did you say something to upset him?"_

"In a manner of speaking…"

" _I won't judge,"_ Yang said. _"I doubt you meant it, whatever it was. We know you're not a racist, so it was probably just a misunderstanding."_

"I told him we can't be together," Weiss blurted out.

Yang's mouth fell open. _"U-Uh. Ah, wow. Uh. He asked you out, then? You turned him down? I thought he liked Blake. Hell, I thought he was in love with Blake."_

"He is," Weiss argued, "And that's what made it a mistake. He was confused and… and we're the only ones here and we became a little closer. As friends," she quickly said. "It was just a mistake born of-" Passion, "-confused feelings."

" _Right. Well, I mean… that's a thing, I guess, but I don't see how you made a mistake if that's the case. He's the one who fell for you. It's not like you encouraged him or anything."_ Yang trailed off as Weiss' guilt shone through. _"Uh…"_

"I told him we can't be together," she repeated slowly, "After… After kissing him."

" _Oh… Oh wow."_ Yang coughed and looked around quickly, holding a hand over the scroll so that no one could see it. Apparently content they were alone, Yang looked back _. "Just so I know, like, a little kiss? A peck on the cheek?"_

Weiss groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Thirty seconds or more, tongue, his body pressed against mine on the veranda of the lodge we're sharing. And I… I think I was the one to initiate it."

" _You think?"_

"It was all a haze, okay?"

" _Were you drunk?"_

"Drunk on something…" Weiss sighed, but quickly explained to ease Yang's worry. "I'd had maybe a glass of wine. Not enough to blame this on that. Believe me, I'd have already tried if I could. I… I just lost myself for a moment. He was there, warm and _so incredibly handsome_ and I wanted him. I couldn't think of anything beyond how _right_ it felt."

" _Oh wow. Shit."_ Yang laughed for a second and ran a hand through her hair _. "That's pretty heavy. Also pretty hot if I'm being honest. You and Sun, huh? I can tell you right now that I did not see that coming."_

"It's not coming, Yang. It's not going anywhere. It was a terrible mistake and I've told Sun that. I… I betrayed Blake. We both did, but it was my fault."

" _Whoa, whoa. Weiss. Calm down. Blake is… look, what Blake and Sun have is nothing right now. They're not dating, they're definitely not together and if I'm being honest, I was never sure they would get together."_ Yang rolled her eyes _. "I think he's a good guy and could be good for her, but you can't say Blake's as into him as he is her. Or was into her. It's like you and Jaune, except that Blake was a little more willing to give him a shot. Would you say Jaune was cheating on you if he finally got with Pyrrha?"_

"No…"

" _Then this isn't cheating."_

"It's still a betrayal of trust. What would Blake think?"

" _She'd probably be shocked, but not because she hates you or anything."_

Ugh. Yang didn't get it. "You can't tell her, Yang."

" _Hey, hey. I promised. I'm not telling anyone. Just… don't beat yourself up about this, okay? If Blake was in love with him I could understand it and I'd be pretty upset at you, but this isn't like that. He's the one interested in Blake and it's his call on whether he likes you more. You didn't do anything wrong here."_

"I made out with Sun Wukong."

" _Okay, maybe that's a little crazy, but it's not like he's a bad guy, right? You already said he's handsome and even I can see that. He's not a bad person either. You said you were getting on with him."_

"I am. A little too much for my liking."

Yang laughed. _"Yeah, I can see that. Look, whatever you decide to do, know that I'm behind you one hundred per cent of the way. Blake isn't going to be hurt if you decide to take this further and it's not like you're cheating on Neptune either. The two of you flirted once. Once. That is not grounds for a steady relationship."_

"I know, I… It's more about Blake."

" _She'll be fine. You'll be fine. You want my advice? Don't worry so much about this. You and Sun are both adults. Talk things out, discuss what happened. Be open and honest and he'll be the same back."_

"You… You think we should get it out in the open?"

" _Yeah. You're still relying on one another to make this work and it's gonna be awkward as hell if you try and pretend it never happened. Talk to him, tell him what you think and felt and see where it goes from there. You already said he's a clever guy. He'll figure it out."_

The advice was good, even if Weiss didn't exactly like the idea of approaching the problem so quickly. Of course, the longer she left it, the more it would fester. Yang was nothing if not on the point.

"You're right," Weiss said, sighing. "I hate it, but you're right."

" _Ha. Yeah. Sometimes the best advice sucks."_ Yang grinned for her sake _. "Will you be okay? I know I can't come out there and help, but if you need to talk, I'll be free. And I won't tell anyone. Promise."_

"Thank you, Yang. I… I think you've done enough for now."

It was obvious Yang wanted to know more, but like the friend she was, she didn't push. _"Righto. Tell me how it goes, yeah? I'm rooting for you."_

"Thank you, Yang. I'll put your advice to use."

Feeling at least a little more centred, if not any better for it, she made her way back towards their lodge. Sun _was_ more mature than she'd given him credit for before. Yang was right; he would sit down and talk with her if she asked. It was up to her to take that step. If only she could decide what decision would ultimately be made.

 _Do I like Sun…?_

She almost had to, really. She was hardly one prone to displays of affection and even though she'd never been in a romantic relationship before, she was sure she could recognise the signs. Her position had always been too high profile to date. Any boy would have had to be introduced to her father, which would have meant being vetted and more. It had just been too much hassle.

Sun was not unattractive. No, it was pointless to lie. Sun was _very_ attractive. Not in the way she'd normally have liked, but her tastes had changed and changed fast. His tanned skin didn't really go with hers, but she liked its golden hue. His hair was soft and wild, wonderful to run her fingers through, and his eyes were deep, intelligent and – most importantly – caring. He was funny, dedicated, intelligent and yet somehow easy-going on top of all that.

All of those things were positive traits, but it was ultimately her body which gave it away. Whatever chemical reactions and such concepts such as `preference` and `taste` ran on told her she liked Sun Wukong. Her heartbeat increased, her skin flushed, and she felt the uncomfortably disgusting urge to look away shyly and giggle.

Like she had with Neptune, really.

And Neptune. What did she think of him? She'd liked him before or been impressed with him. Weiss wasn't sure if it had been love or not. Probably not. Love was too much to suggest when they hadn't even dated, but there had been _interest_ there. He was charming, witty and dressed well. Neptune held himself with an easy confidence she'd found appealing, and it was something other men seemed to lack. Jaune lacked it in being confident in the first place, while brutes like Cardin and his team had the confidence but mixed it with arrogance. Neptune had the perfect balance.

But she had to admit that he hadn't _excited_ her.

He'd been good, appreciable, the best of the bunch. Weiss _liked_ his witty and charming manner, but never found herself swooning for it. She'd been flattered at his attention and pleased with his decorum. There was no roaring passion there, not like most sitcom romances hinted at. She'd always considered those more fantasy than reality, but last night's debacle suggested she may have been wrong on that front.

Sun. Sun had been passion.

Sun was also interested in Blake, in love with her. The reminder stung. It burned a hole in her chest and brought the horrible tang of jealousy to her lips. Weiss hated herself for that all the more. Blake was a teammate and more than that, a friend. But it was undeniable. She, Weiss Schnee, felt _something_ for Sun Wukong. Not love, not so easily, but desire, passion and something akin to genuine affection. Call it what one would, but she wanted him.

There was only one thing to do.

/-/

Sun was more grateful for Azure letting him hide in his room than he cared to admit. The two teens wasted their time playing games, talking about random crap and otherwise laughing at jokes and little stories. When the afternoon came around and Azure's scroll started to buzz more frequently, Sun excused himself. Azure apologised, saying it was more suit fittings from his mother. Sun wished him well, then made the long and lonely walk back to his lodge.

He couldn't put it off all day. Sooner or later he had to face the music.

And Weiss was waiting for him in their bedroom, sat primly on the edge of their mattress, her legs straight and each hand upon one knee. It was such a rigid and purposeful pose that he knew she'd been waiting there for some time, preparing for this very moment.

For the first time in his life, Sun wanted to turn around and run away from danger.

"Sun," she greeted, robbing him of the chance. "Good to see you. Can we… talk?"

"Yeah." Sun swallowed his pride and his fear and closed the door behind him. "Yeah, I guess we should." Drawing out the wooden seat by the vanity mirror, Sun sat down, eyes fixed on the navy-blue rug on the floor.

"Sun…"

He waited for her to say more, but she trailed off, the last letter of his name stretching out uncomfortably. He'd have helped normally, but not knowing what to say or what Weiss wanted from this, it was all he could do to stay silent and let the uncomfortable atmosphere grow.

"This… This isn't easy," she said.

"Just get it out, Weiss. Just say it."

Weiss regarded him for a moment. He could feel her eyes on him. "Very well. Last night was a mistake on both our parts."

Sun's gut clenched. Even though he'd expected the words, they hurt. Hurt because he'd been fooling himself again into thinking there was a way out of this, a happy ending. Life wasn't always so kind. It was complicated, harsh and full of mistakes. Mistakes like embracing the moment last night.

"I would like to apologise as well," she said. "I… I feel as though more guilt lays with me than it does you. I encouraged and led you on, making you believe there was something more between us. For that, I apologise."

Something more…? Making him believe…? Weiss was trying to soften the blow, he knew, but just the concept of what she'd said had his heart plummeting. So, he _had_ just been reading into it. What an idiot he'd been.

"It's my bad as well," he rasped. "I kiss-" Bad words. "I initiated it."

"Not without my permission. I'll admit there was something there, but it was hormones. We're both young, out here alone. The night, the swim, the atmosphere." Weiss looked away from him to cough loudly into her fist. "It made us feel things we wouldn't normally have felt. I… I have always been interested in Neptune. You're in love with Blake, correct?"

Was he? If she'd asked him that yesterday morning he'd have said yes, but now… now, he wasn't so sure. Blake was beautiful, smart, focused and so much more. But she wasn't Weiss. There was nothing lacking and yet everything.

He'd fallen. Fallen hard.

But if Weiss liked Neptune as she said, he had to be the bigger person. Had to be the best friend he could to Nep, and the best friend he could to Weiss. "Yeah, I do," he said. "I love her."

Weiss' breath hitched.

Sun stared at the floor.

"G-Good," she eventually said, voice strained. "That's good. Wonderful. I- You'll be so good together, Sun. Please, believe me when I say you've been _wonderful_ here. I'm going to have nothing but praise for you in front of Blake. And… I don't want this to come between the friendship we've made."

"I don't either. I…" He swallowed. "It won't come between us. Not if we don't let it, I mean."

Weiss smiled weakly. "Then let's not let it. What happened… It happened. We can't change that. But we can move on, accept it and agree that it's something we'll put behind us."

He didn't want to. His heart ached.

But for Weiss and Neptune, he would.

Standing, Sun forced a smile he didn't feel onto his face. "No hard feelings, huh? I can get behind that. Besides, we've still got a pair of annoying parents to fool."

"Yes, we have."

"All things forgiven?" Sun offered, opening his arms.

"There's nothing to forgive," Weiss said, standing and stepping forward. It was a warm, polite and friendly embrace. Nothing more, nothing less. Her hands stroked his back while his rested just above, on the back of her shoulders.

Sun tried not to think how good she smelled, or how right it felt to have her in his arms.

"Friends," he said, choked.

"Friends," Weiss agreed.

* * *

 **Probably not what Yang meant, Weiss. Damn it.**

 **Well, Weiss misinterprets Yang's advice and closes the door on a relationship both she and Sun want, while Azure looks for his own happiness – love triangle, perhaps? No, not planned, but I've had a few suggest I could make Azure bi. I suppose I could, but I feel like making him feel something for Sun would cheapen his personality, because it would suggest his stepping back is just out of lust, as opposed to being a difficult decision he's had to make that is worthy of respect.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 22** **nd** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	9. Chapter 9

**I've not done this in forever, but for those who are interested in story structure or wanting to improve, etc, this story currently is in Beat 5 of the 7-Beat romance system. Weiss and Sun's moment on the beach and the veranda was Beat 4.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Terakali

 **Chapter 9**

* * *

A Schnee was always calm and in control. That was a lesson her father had taught her, one of the few he'd personally delivered before leaving her with the best tutors lien could buy. It was a lesson he drove home time and time again, not with a whip as some might have imagined, but rather the stern, uncompromising gaze of a disappointed parent. Of all things Jacques Schnee stood for, calm and in control was one of the few that she tried to emulate. One of the few things about her father she respected.

Some might have called her the same, and some did say she had a heart of ice. The truth was the exact opposite, however, as someone with a pair of eyes ought to have been able to figure out. She hadn't been at Beacon twenty-four hours before blowing up at Ruby three different times and that was not the work of someone in control of their emotions. Weiss' temper burned hot and bright, as did many of her other emotions. It was just that she tried her hardest not to let them show.

On Sun, she'd thought their conversation over. The boundaries of their relationship had been defined, the impossibility of it established. All that was left was to deal with the lingering disappointment, killing it where possible, and to fall back into the friendly routine they'd had before.

"Your drink, milady."

In that regard, Sun was doing well.

"Thank you," she said, accepting the brightly coloured cocktail. Their fingers brushed and she tried not to jump.

Weiss was not doing nearly so good.

Sun laughed and took his place beside her deckchair, sitting on a towel laid out on the sand once more. She'd offered to fetch him a chair, but again he refused. The difference in height left her looking down on him slightly, which was a bonus here. It let her eyes roam over him without him noticing.

Intellectually speaking, Weiss knew she _shouldn't_ be letting her eyes do that at all, but there was no helping it. The way his abs bunched when he sat up, the way the muscles tensed, so hard that she could imagine flicking a finger against them and feeling solid iron. His sun-kissed skin glinted in the bright sun, so different from her own. Not a hair in sight on the hard, smooth plains of his pecs as they dipped down like a valley, rising up again to a dusky nipple. A drop of Sun's drink spilled down onto his chest, rode the contour of his left pec down to his abs, where the liquid split and ran down either side like a waterfall.

Weiss took a drink quickly and looked away. It was almost _too_ unfair. Perhaps the occasional look would not be too bad. Perhaps it would help alleviate the warmth she felt. She drew her right foot back slowly, brushing one knee against the other.

Sun's head twitched.

The little hairs on Weiss' legs stood on end as goose bumps ran up and down her flesh. Was he looking at her legs? Her heart beat a little faster and she kept still, feeling for a moment like she was trapped in the eyes of some dangerous predator. Except that her thoughts didn't reflect it. _Did I clean my legs properly? Are they smooth? What does he think?_ Slowly, Weiss rubbed her foot along the inner calf of her other leg, extending both flat. She wanted to tell him to stop looking, but the hypocrisy of such a request prevented her. She just wished she weren't so aware of it, nor so excited.

"Hey you two!"

Weiss jumped so much she almost spilled her drink, drawing both legs back reflexively. Sun was little better, coughing on his drink as he looked hurriedly away, to Azure, who was walking towards them with a friendly smile and a wave.

"Hey," Sun returned.

"Good morning, Azure," she added politely. A part of her wanted to yell at him for his interruption, another part to thank him. He was as topless as Sun and equally tanned, but while his body was toned, it somehow lacked the _raw strength_ of Sun's. Azure looked like he worked out. Sun looked like a steel wall of flesh and muscle. No, that wasn't quite right. Steel was cold and uncomfortable, while Sun was warm, hard and yet somehow incredibly soft under her fingers.

The two boys thankfully didn't notice her pressing the cold glass of the cocktail to her forehead, nor the curses she whispered under her breath. _You have more control than this, Weiss. If you could put up with Ruby being made team leader, you can put up with a little sex appeal from Sun._

Except that she hadn't really put up with Ruby, had she? She'd complained to Port and Ruby had to show Weiss first hand why she could be trusted. That was a dangerous prospect in this place, no matter how much her neck and face heated up.

"Weiss…?"

She flinched at her name and glanced towards the two only to see them looking back questioningly. "I'm sorry," she said quickly, "What was that?"

"I said that my parents have invited you and Sun to spend the day on our personal yacht. Your father and sister will be attending, and I was sent to ask you."

Frankly, Weiss couldn't think of anything _less_ appealing. "Is this a request or…?"

"It's a request from me. I'm… not sure it's one from your father. He seemed to think your attendance a foregone conclusion."

Of course he did.

"Well, I suppose we had better not disappoint him."

/-/

Sun didn't like the Metelia and Jacques Schnee at the best of times, and right now certainly wasn't that. Disappointment over Weiss' decision last night, his own foul mood and frustration combined with the sneer Weiss' father sent him the moment he'd seen him, and it was all Sun could do not to accidentally drop them all in the ocean. The only problem was that they were still within the dust net surrounding the bay, so there wouldn't be any Grimm to eat them.

Not Azure, obviously. Azure was cool. He was a bro. He stood by him while his mother and father greeted Weiss and ignored him, and even managed to intentionally miss his mother's none-too-subtle suggestion that he rub sun cream into Weiss' shoulders for her. That last bit might have been self-preservation on his part, though there was no telling who would have killed Azure first; Weiss or him.

If there was anything going for this damn thing, it was that there were enough people around to distract him and keep his eyes off Weiss' pale skin, which her swimsuit really didn't do enough to hide. When Weiss excused herself to sunbathe with her sister – or rather sit reading with her sister under a parasol – Sun was quick to suggest he and Azure swim in the pool.

Yeah, a pool. On a yacht. The pointlessness of it all wasn't lost on him, but then again it wasn't his yacht. The thing was as big as everything else in the Metelia family, ostentatious in a way that had to be intentional, a constant screaming of `I'm richer than you` out over all the other wealthy patrons on the beach. It had two levels, multiple bedrooms, a pool, bar, miniature restaurant and even its own crew, who went to and fro, adjusting sails, serving drinks and taking away plates and glasses.

"So, what's it like growing up rich?" Sun asked.

Azure, leaning back against the pool's side as a jet of water massaged his back, raised an eyebrow. "What's it like having friends who aren't pretending to be to get your money?"

"Touche."

"Heh." Azure smiled, seemingly pleased with his joke. "It's not bad, I suppose. I don't have anything to compare it with so I can't give an accurate answer. I guess there's less pressure… but I don't know how much pressure you have."

"No parents and no expectations here, man, so not many."

"I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's fine. So, you do whatever you like? Think that'd make me pretty lazy."

"You'd think, but you you'd also be surprised how easily you can get bored of having too much free time. I know some people who keep trying to take more and more risks because nothing else gives them the same high. I keep myself busy with my conservation efforts."

"Got to have something to do or you'll go insane?"

"Pretty much."

It sounded rough, which wasn't how Sun would have imagined it. Then again, if money really did buy happiness then Weiss' father wouldn't have looked like he had a durian lodged up his ass. Or maybe that was only when he made eye contact with a faunus. Hard to say. Even now, he could feel eyes on his back, probably Millennia Metelia. She'd be glaring at him for daring to taint her little boy with his very presence.

"What's it like being in love?" Azure asked suddenly.

Sun looked his way. "Eh?"

"If we're exchanging stories, I mean. I've never felt it before. I've found girls attractive and vice versa, but I've never had the feeling like I want to spend the rest of my life with someone. What's it like?"

"Hmm." Sun leaned back and let the warm breeze wash over him. His mind slipped to Blake as it often had when the word was thrown around, but it was Weiss' face that appeared in his mind. "It's rough. It's like… everything in life is fine and dandy. You know what your goals are, what you're working towards and then BAM! Suddenly, you're hit by a truck and nothing is the same."

"A truck?"

"Feels like it. You ever seen those movies where someone is in an accident, wakes up and suddenly sees the world a different way? It's like that. All of a sudden, those dreams you had before really don't matter and the fact you were fine on your own before is gone. Now, you need someone. Her, him, whoever. They're on your mind all the time, even when they shouldn't be. When you're around them, you act like an idiot. You know how you _want_ to act, but you can't. You've been dosed with a whole load of stupid and you just _know_ it's showing."

"Um…"

"And worse, there's nothing you can do to ignore it. Try and pretend it's not there and it doesn't go away. Try and break things off and you feel like you're pulling your ribcage out your chest. She's just one girl. There's plenty of other fish in the sea. To hell with that, because she's the _only_ one that counts." Sun let out a loud sigh and slumped a little lower, so that only his nose and eyes were above the water. "It sucks-" he burbled.

"Isn't that just for if they don't return your feelings, though? I meant what is it like being in love and being _with_ the person you love."

 _How the hell should I know?_ Sun wondered, thinking of his lack of success with Blake _or_ Weiss. But, of course, he had a job to do. Weiss and he could never be a thing, but he'd still made a promise and that involved acting the part of her boyfriend. He closed his eyes and imagined what life might have been like if instead of pushing away, Weiss had stepped closer, looked lovingly into his eyes and brought him down for a tender kiss.

"It's wonderful, Azure," Sun said bitterly. "Best feeling in the fucking world…"

/-/

"You can't keep your eyes off him."

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you mean."

"You may be able to lie to father, but you cannot to me, Weiss. I see the way you look at him"

"Then you may want to enquire about a test to your eyesight, dear sister." Weiss tore her gaze from the pool and sipped of her fruit juice. No alcohol in front of father, not that she was a heavy drinker anyway. "Sun has someone waiting for him back in Vale, one of my teammates. Whatever you imagine you see between him and I exists only in your imagination."

"And yours?"

Weiss glared at Winter. "You're being… unusually vexing."

"Am I? I apologise." Naturally, Winter meant it fully, bowing her head. Her older sister had come in a two-piece bikini which showed off her toned stomach, military life had been good to Winter, giving her more definition than Weiss in many ways, and in more than one area. While Weiss was not one to feel any insecurity towards her own body, she knew that if she'd come in a two-piece, she would have been unable to compete with Winter's shape and size.

 _Sometimes, I wonder just how related we are. The differences are not insignificant…_

Of course, there was no competition between them so it didn't really matter. Yes, Sun's eyes might have roved over Winter a little, but that didn't bother Weiss in the slightest. Not one _damned_ bit.

"He does have quite the nice body. Very… rugged."

"Winter!?" Weiss shrieked. When father and the Metelia parents looked her way, she waved a hand apologetically and shrunk a little. She felt she could be forgiven for such shock, however. Winter had _never_ spoken like that before.

Seeing her sister's shock, Winter rolled her eyes. "Am I not a woman as well, Weiss? I'm not on duty and there are no rules against fraternisation here. I'm free to admire a young man's form if he flaunts it in front of me so readily. Of course, I prefer my men a little older."

"That last part wasn't required."

"I did not want it to make it seem like there was any competition between us."

"Also unrequired!" Weiss hissed. "There is no competition because there is _nothing_ between Sun and I." She kept her words to a whisper. "We are not together, nor shall we ever be."

"But you do not deny that he has an impressive body. Or that your eyes linger on him when he isn't looking."

"You just admitted to that as well!"

"Yes. The difference is that I am not in denial about the fact."

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose and counted to thirty. She loved Winter, she really did, but this felt like someone had abducted her sister out from under her. Their discussions were normally on her grades, Beacon or Winter's experiences in the military. They had never – not even once – spoken about boys or their attraction to any such.

Except Jaune. Because really, Weiss needed _someone_ to rant to about his early attempts to stalk – sorry, court – her.

"What do you want of me?"

"I want you to be happy, Weiss."

"I _am_ happy."

Winter sipped of her drink. "Are you?"

Footsteps approached from the side. Weiss broke off the conversation, knowing any of the staff here would be quick to report to Azure's parents if they found out she and Sun were anything but a couple. It was not a waiter, however.

"Weiss." Jacques Schnee said the term without warmth, without greeting. It was not `hello Weiss` or `good to see you`, but rather a statement of fact that _she_ was Weiss, and that _he_ was instructing her as to the fact he was deigning to speak to her. "And Winter," he added, equally an afterthought.

"Father." Weiss returned the favour in kind, with all of the same sentiment.

If Sun in a pair of swimming shorts was summer, excitement and passion personified, Jacques in the same was… she was not sure what he was. A solid chunk of ice dropped in the pool? A health and safety inspector demanding everyone stop having fun and leave? His skin was red over white, sunburned in places and patchy in others. He wore a white shirt over pale skin with white hair and a white moustache, giving him a bleached appearance that only served to make his eyes, a pale blue like her own, look like chips of jagged ice. He _could_ have been smiling – she would never know, his lips hidden beneath his facial hair – but experience told her he was not.

He was the opposite of Sun in every way and not for the first time, Weiss had to remind herself that this man, this statue who acted human, was in fact her father. He was the man who was supposed to love her.

"You are spending much time with Winter."

"She's my sister. And I've not seen her for so long…"

"You are being anti-social."

"I spent hours yesterday with Millennia trying on dresses."

"I do not speak of Millennia, Weiss."

"Mr Metelia? I did not realise he wished to speak with me…"

"I am referring to their son, Azure."

Even more unusual. "I was with him this morning. I've spent more time with him than I have either of his parents. We toured the island together. You can ask him-"

"I _have_ asked him, Weiss, and although he confirms this, he also stated that these instances were with your… companion included."

"Ah. Azure did not appear to mind-"

"What he minds and what he does not is of no concern. You are to spend more time with him _without_ the presence of your… friend."

"My boyfriend."

"That individual is _not_ your boyfriend."

Weiss' heart froze. Had he found something out?

"You are a Schnee. He is not someone of consequence. As a Schnee, you are expected to marry well, and I will not see my daughter tied to some random faunus."

"Is that what this is about, father? Race?"

"I could not care less for his race, only his lack of prospects. The Metelia family is a known name with much respect, especially within the hospitality industry. It carries weight. Weight we could use to leverage this resort for generations to come."

"And my happiness? Does that not matter?"

"Do not play games, Weiss," he snapped. "You can be as happy with Azure as you can with this boy. You are refusing to give this an opportunity due to some misplaced rebellion, that much is clear. I have come to make my position clear. Co-operate or I shall see if Whitley cannot serve the family better." Message delivered, Jacques turned and walked away.

"I hate him…"

"Hm. Why do you think I left?"

"He disinherited you."

"A small price to pay for the freedom to make my own decisions."

"Perhaps for you. I want to change the SDC. I can't do that if father puts Whitley in control."

"Then you will be forced to choose between your ambition and your happiness," Winter said. "For as long as you wish to remain a part of the SDC, father will have full control over your every action. The threat of disinheritance will always be enough to control you."

Weiss scowled, but more at her father than Winter. Her sister, no matter how callous she sounded, was only offering the truth. Authority was a constant battle of finding out what someone wanted and holding it over their head. Her father could hold her position over hers until the day he died and there was little she could do about it.

 _I made a promise, though. I'm going to fix the SDC._

Did that mean she would have to marry Azure? Unfair or not, she might not have the choice.

"It's not that easy…"

"It is," Winter said, as uncompromising as ever. "Reputation can be rebuilt, power can be amassed, wealth can be earned. But happiness? You might find that if you let this pass you by, you never get the chance again. Opportunities do not last forever, Weiss."

"It's just an act…"

"I think we both know it is more than that." Winter paused and looked away. "Oh, I think someone is requesting your attention."

Winter's amused tone should have clued her in, but Weiss looked up regardless – and was immediately caught by Sun's soaked body as he pushed himself up and out of the pool. The muscles in his arms bulged, his chest tightening and his shorts riding low as he dragged himself up and out, droplets of water running down over his tight, hard body. He caught a towel Azure threw and rubbed himself down. Weiss wished he'd used her instead.

Her brain stopped.

One hand came up to her face. The other gripped her glass so hard it almost cracked.

"Or perhaps I was mistaken. The _sun_ must have been in my eyes."

The sun. Weiss wasn't sure if Winter intended the wordplay or not, or if she wasn't just paranoid after spending so much time with Yang, but she let out a groan nonetheless. _Friends,_ she chanted in her head. _We're just friends. Nothing more. Friends can admire friends. I admire Ruby's perseverance and Blake's dedication. I can admire Sun's chiselled abs and beautiful eyes._

Yes. There was definitely nothing unusual there.

"This is harder than it's supposed to be…"

"It often is." Winter took another sip of her drink. "Or so I'm told. A word of advice, if you're still determined to try and have your cake and eat it…"

"I'd rather not any advice on Sun, thank you."

"Not him. Or not directly. I was thinking more of advice on father and your situation."

"Go on."

"He is not incorrect to state your actions as rebellion. You've refused to spend any time with Azure and that is something he can claim as childish on your part."

Weiss sighed. "You're suggesting I follow his instructions?"

"I am suggesting you ignore father entirely and pursue your own happiness."

"Winter…"

The older woman sighed. "You may want to encourage father a little, if that is the direction you choose. If you try liaising with Azure and nothing occurs, at least father cannot say you did not give the boy a chance. If it doesn't work out, either for you or Azure's sake, then there is little he can do. Refuse to even consider it, and he can say that you're being intentionally difficult and make your life harder."

A sigh escaped her. It was the last thing she wanted, but Winter had a point. So long as she refused to take part, her father would refuse to treat her like an adult. Even if she had no intention of following through, she ought to act like she was considering the option.

"It's not a bad idea…"

"One last thing, Weiss. You are not responsible for what father does or has done. It is not your responsibility to fix his mistakes, nor to change the SDC. If you continue to cling to your pride and this self-imposed sense of duty, you may end up sacrificing something infinitely more valuable."

Weiss opened her mouth to reply, to deny once more, but ended up biting her lip as her stomach plunged. She drew a deep breath and let it go, pretending she didn't feel the discomfort she did.

"I'll keep your words in mind…"

/-/

Weiss was talking to Azure.

Weiss was talking to Azure, and Azure looked uncomfortable about it.

Weiss was talking to Azure, and Azure's parents looked equal parts thrilled and victorious. Or rather the father did. The mother shot him an ugly, triumphant smirk that had Sun's hands clenching into fists under the table. The mocking jeer was clear, and it wasn't only echoed by her. Jacques Schnee looked like the cat who'd caught the canary. Together, they revelled in his isolation.

Was she doing it to make him jealous? That didn't seem like her. But when they'd sat down for dinner before the yacht would moor back and let them disembark, Weiss had specifically chosen to sit away from him and next to Azure. No one missed it. No one _could_ miss it. Instead, Weiss' sister had sat next to him, leaving him trapped between her and the edge of the table.

The steak was the softest, most succulent thing he'd ever tasted. Sun knew because he'd been chewing the last piece for what felt like two minutes, trying to make the distraction last so that he wouldn't have to hear Weiss laugh at some joke Azure told.

 _What right do I have to be jealous? It's not like we're actually together. Weiss already said no. Get over yourself, man._

There was nothing left of the food in his mouth, so he swallowed and took a sip of ice-cold water. It would be the height of rudeness to excuse himself and leave, but he was considering it.

"I'm told you're the leader of your team," Weiss' sister said suddenly. "Is that right?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, I am." He hadn't expected someone to talk to him at a table of people who hated his guts. Or rather, Winter had never seemed like that, but she'd also not exactly been the friendly sort. Coughing to clear his throat, he tried again, realising how rough his voice sounded. "Sorry. Yes, I am team leader."

"That's quite the accomplishment, especially since I'm told your team is one of the few nominated by Haven to attend the Vytal Festival. You must be quite the accomplished leader."

The others at the table paused slightly, more surprised that Winter was talking to him than interested. Millennia frowned and turned back to Azure and Weiss, along with the others, but he noticed Weiss look his way with narrowed eyes for a moment.

What? Was she angry at _him_ now? He hadn't done anything other than sit here while she talked to Azure and ignored him. He was only being polite. A little annoyed, and admittedly jealous, he turned away from her to face Weiss' sister, Winter, directly. She was a taller and more full-figured woman but had the same hair and a similar face to Weiss. She was undeniably beautiful, but a little colder. Or rather she had been. Now, she wore a polite smile that helped ease the stern demeanour she'd shown when they first met.

"My team are all brilliant fighters, so I didn't have to work them all that harder. It was just my job to help them work together as a team, you know."

"I do. Co-operation is important, and not always easy even among the Specialists."

"I've heard of them. They're a pretty elite unit in Atlas, right? You can't be any older than twenty yet you're a part of them already."

"Twenty-two," Winter corrected with a smile. "But thank you for the compliment. I worked hard to earn a place in the Specialists. It wasn't easy and my name didn't earn me any favours."

"Yeah. Military is all about results, right?"

Winter seemed pleased. "Indeed. I've led small teams, but never those who weren't already soldiers, and most were willing to listen because of my rank. I imagine it was different for you at first."

"Eh, a little," he admitted, laughing at the distant memory. "It was awkward at first. Not because I was a faunus, but more that I came from Vacuo, so they didn't know what I'd be like." Sage had been keen to test him and see how far he could be pushed, whether he was bossy or not. It had all felt weird at first, but they'd talked things out. "I guess once I earned their trust, things got easier. Everyone fought individually, but I managed to get them to understand the value of teamwork after a while. That helped us do well enough to be selected for the Vytal Festival."

"In your first year no less. You must be proud of them."

"I am, actually. They're great guys." He laughed and Winter joined in, chuckling gently.

Weiss' cutlery clattered onto her plate.

"I apologise," Weiss said. "I believe I've lost my appetite." Her eyes met his over the table, and then Winter's, before she turned purposefully to Azure. "Why don't you tell me more about those conservation trips, Azure? They're simply fascinating."

Sun tried not to let the look on her face hurt.

Tried.

/-/

Weiss was sick of the silence between them. Already back on the jetty leading up to their lodge and they hadn't shared a single word. She thought the trip had gone well. Or as well as it could. Her father had nodded her way, the Metelia family looked happy and she'd gotten the pressure off her for a moment. But no. Sun refused to meet her eyes and walked ahead of her instead of alongside.

She waited until they were inside and the door locked before rounding on him.

"What on Remnant is up with you now?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean, Sun. You're acting…"

"Acting what?" he asked.

Ridiculous, childish, annoying. "Unusual."

"Yeah? Maybe I'm in an unusual mood. It's not easy spending your day around people who hate your guts. Just leave it be."

"Is this about me talking to Azure?"

Sun's hesitation said more than his whispered, "No."

"It is! I can't believe this." Weiss stormed past him and threw her arms in the air. "Don't tell me you were jealous. Can I not even speak to another man without you leering over my shoulder?"

"I wasn't leering. I was talking to your sister."

"And since when do you talk to Winter?"

"Since when did it matter?" Sun challenged.

"It doesn't."

"Then why bring it up?"

"Just answer the question! What's got you so angry?"

"Just… leave it, Weiss," he said, shaking his head. He pulled off his jacket and let it fall on the back of the chair by the vanity mirror. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a hiss. "It's not worth starting an argument over."

"Who is trying to start an argument here? I'm not."

"Good," he said, walking past. "Conversation over."

"I don't recall agreeing to that, Sun."

"Oh, for… Weiss, let's not do this, okay? I just spent a whole day pretending I was okay with all the queer looks and whispered insults – and I did that for you." He turned and pointed towards her face. "I didn't do it because I wanted to. I did it as a favour to you, so if you'd like to return that favour and, I dunno, not continue on like this, that'd be appreciated."

Weiss watched him as he took a deep breath and then turned away once more, stalking out onto the decking to look out over the ocean. She watched him lean his arms down on the railing. Watched, and had no idea what to say or do. His dismissal hurt. More than she thought it should. Against her better wisdom, she went after him. She knew he'd heard because he let out a sigh. Another warning not to push her luck, but she ignored it.

"Is this really about me talking to Azure?" she asked. "Are you _seriously_ jealous?"

"Weiss," he groaned. Begged. "Do we _have_ to do this?"

"I think we do. We're partners after all."

"Partners in a scam, in pretending to be something we're not. Don't act like it's anything more."

"That never bothered you before."

"Yeah? Or maybe I just acted like it didn't."

"Is this about what happened between us? I told you we can't be together."

"I know what you said, Weiss!" Sun's voice was clipped, hoarse. "I was there, remember? I was a part of the conversation. There's no need to go through it all again. I know what we are, and what we aren't."

"Then why are you so angry?" Weiss demanded, stomping a foot down. "You're acting like an entitled child! We're friends. Nothing more."

Sun rounded on her. "Yeah? That so?"

Startled, she took a step back.

Sun followed.

"Friends, huh? Sure didn't feel it back there."

"W-What do you mean?"

"Friends look out for one another. Friends help one another. I'm helping you, helping you despite how it makes me feel. And I didn't ask for anything in return, at least not from you. But I kinda figured you might have my back, you know? Figured you might think of me the same way."

"I do. You're a good friend."

"Then what was that back there? What was abandoning me at the most _awkward dinner date of my life_?" Sun slammed a fist into the wall beside him. He made no motion to hurt her, but she still flinched and backed up a little. "You _know_ those bastards hate. I was willing to put up with it to help, but I figured I might have _someone_ to talk to who didn't treat me like trash. Thank the Gods your sister was there, because if she wasn't, I don't know what I'd have done."

Winter? But-

"But it shouldn't have had to be your sister pretending to be interested to help me out," he hissed. "She was being polite, trying not to leave me as the cast-off, and what did we get for it? You glaring at me like I'm doing something wrong."

"I didn't…"

She had. She'd seen Sun and Winter smiling and laughing and jumped straight to the wrong conclusion. She blanched, imagining just what Winter must think of her for it. Ultimately, Winter wasn't here. Sun was, and he was not pleased.

"I expected this. I expected I wouldn't be welcome here, but I figured you at least would have my back. Instead, you were off flirting with Azure."

"We weren't-" They had been. Intentionally. "It's not what you think," she amended. "Father is pressuring me. Winter said I should spend time with him, just to show I'm not purposefully sabotaging this. It was all an act."

Sun looked relieved, but no less hurt. "And you didn't think I deserved to know?"

No.

Yes.

"I-I thought you'd realise." A lie. Weiss knew it was. She hadn't thought he'd figure it out himself because she hadn't even thought of what his reaction might be in the first place. She'd just focused on what she had to do and left him to it.

After all the things he'd put up with for her sake, she'd ignored him like he wasn't important.

He knew it. His eyes told her he'd seen past her flimsy excuse.

"Sun, I'm sorry. I… I didn't think. It was a mistake, an error of judgment. I thought… No, I didn't think. I didn't think what your reaction would be or whether I'd be leaving you on your own in the lion's den. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Sun stared into her eyes for a moment and Weiss found herself lost. It felt like she'd been shown a vulnerability she'd never sensed before. He was always so unflappable in the face of discrimination, or at least she'd thought so. He wasn't. Like her, he just put on a brave face. All the while, he relied on those he cared for to support him.

She'd failed in that regard.

"Yeah," he said, looking down on her. "I'm sorry too. Got angry."

Something about his gaze made her shiver. He hadn't moved either, despite that the issue was surely dealt with. Weiss licked her lips nervously. "It's not just that though, is it?"

Sun's breath mingled with hers as he exhaled. "Not just. This thing with Azure. It's fake, right?"

"Yes. Absolutely. I'm pretending to give it a chance so that when I turn him down, no one can say I never did. There's nothing more to it." Weiss wanted to say she wasn't sure why he asked, but she was. She could see it in his eyes. Feel it in the heat that crept down from the hand on her shoulder into her body. Again, she licked her lips. They felt incredibly dry. "Sun, please. Don't make this any harder than it already is."

"Who says it has to be hard?"

She did. Because it was very, very hard not to react to him at that moment. His body, his smell, the fact that his shirt was so thin that her fingers which had come to rest on it could feel the contours of his chest. Her fingernails rested on them and she imagined what it might be like to drag them down his skin leaving little marks behind.

It took her a moment to realise she'd hesitated. Enough that Sun's face was closer to hers, a silent question, a request that she didn't dare answer even as her heart leapt and her toes curled. All it would take would be closing her eyes and tilting her head back. She could even claim it an accident after, a silly little mistake. Who would know?

She would know.

Weiss tore her eyes, and her face, away. "Sun, please. You've heard my answer."

"Yeah. I guess I have." He broke away and took a step back. She immediately missed his heat in the cool evening air. "Sorry for being awkward. Night, Weiss."

Weiss slumped against the wooden wall as she was left alone out on the deck. Slowly, she sagged back, bringing one hand up to touch her lips. Dry. Clenching her hand into a fist, she slammed it against the railing. Not for the first time, she wished she'd just let it happen. Damn her father, damn Azure, damn his family.

And most of all, damn her for saying no.

* * *

 **Just as a note. I know one or two people were upset because Sun used the word "love" for Blake, and they were saying how what he has for her isn't really love. I happen to agree, but I also think most teenagers who are in that situation wouldn't say "I like her, but I'm self-aware enough to know it's only a passing interest, etc".**

 **At that age, I, and a lot of my friends, would "fall in love". We'd call it love, even if it really wasn't.**

" **I've met someone. She's amazing. I think I'm in love."**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 5** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	10. Chapter 10

**Here we are, here we go.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Terakali

 **Chapter 10**

* * *

"I need to have breakfast with my father today."

Sun poked his head out from under the blankets, watching as Weiss hurried about, pulling on a white sundress and collecting her purse and bag. She looked in a foul mood, though Sun was fairly sure it wasn't because of him for once.

"Am I supposed to go with you?"

"No. Thankfully."

He couldn't have agreed more.

"Father will be upset about something. He usually is. I'll be in for chastisement, veiled insults, reproach and, if I'm lucky, breakfast."

"Any idea what he wants?"

"He didn't say." Weiss huffed as she drew out her scroll and checked it. "He never does. Forewarning people only gives them time to prepare and father feels he can gain an upper hand if he keeps the purpose of any given meeting hidden. At least when he wants something."

"And he treats breakfast with his daughter like a business meeting."

"Are you surprised?"

"No. Good luck, I guess?"

"Thank you." Finished, Weiss slipped her feet into a pair of sandals and stomped toward the door. "I shall be back later," she said. "Try to have a fun day if you can. The dance is tomorrow and there will be frustration and pomp aplenty with that."

The door slammed shut behind her.

Sun relaxed the moment it did, finally letting the thin sheets fall on him and expose the noticeable tent in his lower half. "Hate you so much," he grumbled down to it, rolling onto his side. To be fair, it was the morning, Weiss had been up and running around in her night clothes – white hair falling in waves over her pale shoulders – and he'd had a saucy dream about him, Weiss, a beach and nothing else.

 _And since when do I stare at a girl's shoulders anyway?_ _The hell is wrong with me._ Legs, ass and tits were all there – and face, obviously. But he'd found himself oddly captivated by the way she slept with her hair loose, the way it cascaded down and kept getting in her way, forcing her to click or blow it out of her face. Somehow the cutest and most sensual thing he'd ever seen.

If Weiss had realised he'd been awake and watching her sleep, she didn't comment on it – which he appreciated, since he wasn't sure what excuse he would have given without seeming a creepy stalker.

 _Gods, my life is complicated all of a sudden…_

With Weiss gone, Sun lounged out atop the bed with a groan, wondering if he couldn't just hide in the lodge all day and pretend the world didn't exist.

The wall of pillows was knocked aside by one arm and Weiss' side of the bed was still warm with her body heat. It also had her scent; not of flowers, spice or some other overpowering perfume, but something more human. Something that was earthy and yet soft, something undeniably Weiss.

"Fuck my life…" His lower self twitched. "To hell with you as well."

Sleeping in was out of the question. Not unless he wanted to snuggle into Weiss' pillow like some lovesick fool and have to explain _that_ one later. _Cold shower. Get dressed. Breakfast. Cold ocean. Lunch. Cold swimming pool and then come back for cold shower, dinner and a cold shower before bed._

Also, maybe drop a bucket of ice down his pants.

"Honestly can't wait for this to be over," he grunted, sitting up and approaching the mirror. He looked like crap. Not the `hungover crap` or even the `I'm an idiot mooning after a girl who doesn't love me crap`, but just the bedhead and stupid expression kind. The look of a man who hadn't woken up on the best side of bed and wanted nothing more than to crawl back in and try again tomorrow.

Still, the sentiment wasn't entirely out of place.

"Things'll be easier back in Beacon. Back where I get to wake up to three sweaty guys and a fight for the shower. No Weiss, no perfume, no warm body sleeping next to me."

In a way he'd miss it, but only in the way an addict missed a drug.

"Chin up, man," he told himself, smiling at the idiot in the mirror. "You've got a date with Blake on the horizon. That's gotta count for something, right?"

Mirror-Sun smiled back, agreeing with him. He looked about as convinced as Sun felt, which was to say not very much at all, but the theory was sound if nothing else. Once him and Weiss had a little distance put between them, he could start thinking with his head and not something a little lower down.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Grumbling, made his way to the door opening it with a scowl on his face. It died when he saw Weiss' older sister stood there.

Winter Schnee stood with hand on her hip, her hair hanging low behind her back as she wore a bikini and skirt combo, the floral pattern of the skirt reaching down one side of her leg to her knee and split on the other side. A pair of designed sunglasses lay on the edge of her nose as she looked down at him from over the rims. She raised an artful eyebrow at his state of dress and looked down his body, over his bare chest and down to his pyjama bottoms, which he now had both hands locked over desperately.

"Am I… interrupting something?"

Sun choked. "O-Only me about to kill myself out of embarrassment."

Her lips twitched. "Then it's a good reason I decided to come over. I'd like to invite you to breakfast, Sun Wukong. If possible, I'd like to talk to the man who my sister holds in such high regard. Is Weiss here?"

"She was summoned by her father," he answered. "I mean, your father."

"Hm." Winter glanced away, eyes narrowing. "I see. All the more opportunity for the two of us to talk, then. If you are willing."

"Sure. If I can just get ready?"

"Of course. Perhaps you'd meet me outside my lodge in thirty minutes."

"That'd be appreciated."

"Good." Winter nodded and turned to leave, though she paused and looked back over her shoulder. Her eyes looked him up and down before her lips curled almost invisibly up. "I'll leave you to take care of your… little problem."

God damn it.

/-/

Twenty-five minutes later found Sun outside Winter's lodge in a shirt and swimming shorts, freshly washed and with his `little problem` dealt with, at least for now. Coughing, he knocked once on the door and waited for her to answer.

"Sun. Thank you for coming." Winter opened the door wider and gestured for him to enter. "I took the liberty or ordering some breakfast to be delivered. We can share it out on the veranda."

The food was already there judging by the smell. He spotted it on Winter's bed and went to collect it himself, earning a small `thank you` from her. Winter's room was a lot tidier than their own, and although Sun would admit to being the messy one out of the two of them, Weiss was still less tidy than Winter was. The bed was made to the standard a housekeeper would struggle to keep, while the floors, walls and surfaces practically shone. There wasn't a single article of clothing on the floor, nor even a glass of water on the side.

"Military life enforces strict discipline," Winter explained. "That extends to cleanliness as well as general life."

Jumping, Sun flushed. "I didn't mean to look."

"It's fine. I take no offence at being recognised for a clean room." Brushing by him, Winter opened the balcony window and pulled the curtains back. "Come, we shall eat out here with the fresh sea breeze and sun. I hope you don't mind being away from the restaurants."

"Not at all. I prefer it."

"I thought you might. The people here are not entirely welcoming of faunuskind."

Sun flushed. He didn't think anyone else had realised. "Yeah. You don't seem bothered by it."

"I might have been when I was younger," Winter admitted, sitting down and taking a small piece of toasted bread in hand. "Please, help yourself." He did so. "When I was younger, father did not create the best environment in which to appreciate the faunus, and attacks by the White Fang did not help."

"Bunch of creeps," he agreed.

"Yes. Criminals no matter their cause. Regardless, when I joined the military, Ironwood made it a requirement that I get over any problems I might have with faunus. There were few of them in the army at that time, but General Ironwood has tried his hardest to incorporate faunus into command positions, the better to earn the community's trust."

"He sounds like a good man."

"He is," Winter said, and there was a note of genuine admiration there. "But I did not call you here to talk about General Ironwood, or myself."

"Kinda figured that one out. Weiss, right?"

"Yes. I know that your position as Weiss' boyfriend is a temporary one born of necessity. I believe the two of you were distant friends before?"

"More associates. I'm a friend of Weiss' teammate. Or I think I am. Hope I am," he grumbled. Blake had never said, even after all the things they'd been through. Straight after the White Fang issue, she'd been too busy making up with her team to even acknowledge how he'd risked his life. "But Weiss and I are friends now. We're closer than we used to be."

"That is good. Weiss needs good friends." Winter sipped at some orange juice, watching him with her sharp blue eyes. "Would I be correct in saying that you wish to be _more than friends_ with her, however?"

Sun's heart skipped a beat. "No. You'd be wrong."

"There is no need to lie to me, Sun. Anything said here is said in confidence. I've seen the way you look at her, and the way she looks back. I don't mean to push you, and I assure you that I have no issue with your courtship of her, but I would have it said."

"There's not much to say…" Sun sighed. "Fine. Maybe I do like her that way, but we've talked about it. It's out in the open. Weiss knows how I feel and doesn't return my feelings."

Winter's eyes narrowed. "Did she say that?"

"Yes."

"Did she say those words?"

He couldn't remember. The actual words used were vague and jumbled in his head, buried behind the hurt and the disappointment. He shrugged helplessly and took a bite of apple, refusing to say any more.

Winter understood. Nodding, she ate a little herself, allowing the two of them to sit in near silence, listening to the water lap against the wooden poles holding up the veranda, and the occasional splash of a small fish's fin catching the surface.

"Weiss' situation is difficult," Winter eventually said.

"I know. Trapped between her dad and the Metelia family."

"Not just that. It is not limited to what you see here. Weiss is the heiress of the SDC; a position of responsibility that I forced upon her." Winter's eyes were closed, a glass of orange juice cupped between both hands. "In my selfishness, I shirked the responsibility and left to pursue my own dreams. As the next eldest, it fell onto her, and has dogged Weiss' life ever since."

"Every action she takes, every move that she makes; it is all watched and judged. If not by father, then by anyone else in business. Even her decision to attend Beacon caused a stir in Atlas; accusations both that she cared not for the SDC and that Jacques had lost what little control he had of his children. Made worse because of my previous disinheritance."

"I know she's got things tough."

"You do not know how tough she has it. At times, she must make decisions she hates. Must speak kindly to those she would rather lambast and ignore those she would like to spend time with. Events like this are not unusual, nor is it out of the ordinary for her to be expected to show interest in someone such as Azure."

"Even if she doesn't want to?"

"Business is business, Sun. Few people _want_ to work for a living. We do it because we must."

"Yeah, but Weiss isn't employed by the SDC."

"No. But she benefits from it. She has spent its money, lived in its splendour and called herself heiress time and time again. I do not defend father's methods – in fact, I abhor them – but Weiss has tied herself to the SDC and must play the part if she wishes to keep things that way. In a sense, she is employed by the SDC and has been since she was young. Jacques is her boss before he is her father; a sentiment I am sure it is easy for you to see in him."

Yeah. No kidding. Jacques and father didn't go in the same sentence, and he didn't even have a father to draw experience from. It all sounded stupid to him. Kids were kids, not employees. He had a feeling Winter knew since she was giving him that look, but she didn't try to make him understand. In the end, it was probably just important that he knew it, whether he accepted it as fair or not.

"How does this tie into me?"

"As an asset of the SDC, Weiss does not have the freedom to pursue her dreams however she might wish. She has some freedom, so long as what she does has no impact on the SDC, but father always holds the ultimate influence over her, the threat of disinheritance."

"And you're saying that being with me would get her kicked out."

"It is quite possible."

"How is that fair!?" Sun scowled. "Or is this your way of saying I shouldn't try. You don't have to. Weiss already decided for me."

"It's not and I would not say such a thing. Little about this situation is fair, but then, this is a chain that Weiss allows to be placed on herself. She is determined to remain a part of the SDC and take it over, which forces her to avoid the fate I received."

"It's her dream to fix the SDC," he said. "Turn it into something better."

"Yes. It is a big dream." Winter sighed. "A terrible dream."

Sun bristled at her words. "It's Weiss' dream," he snapped defensively. "Don't you think you should be encouraging it and not looking down on her?"

"Would you encourage someone you love to place their hand in a Grimm's mouth? This is little different."

"How you figure? Changing the SDC is a big thing. If she managed that, she'd be helping a lot of people. Her name might go down in history. The faunus would adore her. Hell, most people would. No offence, but the SDC name is hated across a lot of Kingdoms. Weiss fixing it would mean a lot."

"Yes. People often adore those who solve their problems for them – even more so when they sacrifice their happiness to do it." Winter's tone was scathing. "The SDC is a problem of father's making. His and the Board's. That Weiss takes it upon her own shoulders when she does not have to speaks well of my sister but promises a long and painful future. Even assuming she succeeds, where do you believe this will place her? The faunus may remember her, yes, but will that make her happy? Will a future where she has had to live under father's control satisfy her?" Winter's eyes met his. "Will her choosing to marry Azure – or someone like him – just to benefit the SDC, satisfy her? Will it satisfy you?"

Sun looked away. His chest felt tight. He could easily imagine an older Weiss, a respected and beloved figure who changed the SDC from within. What he imagined, though, was a woman professionally successful. Not necessarily someone happy.

He also couldn't see himself standing beside her.

"Exactly." Winter said. "Weiss is faced with a choice. She can either swallow her pride and accept that she must find another route to her ambition and be happy. Or she can forsake happiness forever and live under father's commands. In time, she might have the opportunity to fulfil her ambition, but in doing so she will lose out on much more."

"If it's what she wants, though…"

"Is it what she wants, Sun? Or is it what she _feels_ she must do? Or worse, is it what others want of her? As an apology to the faunus. To redeem a family name. To make up for her father's mistakes. Does any of that matter? The faunus who are hurt would be just as happy with the SDC gone. The Schnee name can fade into obscurity for all I would care. And father? Let him fix his own problems. Why should Weiss or I be made to do any of those things?"

"You shouldn't," he said, and paused. Weiss' dream was something she didn't always mention but it was there. Even with the SDC's reputation what it was, she still introduced herself proudly. Like the name meant something; like she wanted it to mean something.

 _Blake pushes her to do what she can for the faunus,_ he realised. _Blake's heart is in the right place but asking Weiss to fix what her father did. That's not fair._ Was Blake pressuring Weiss without realising it? Was everyone? Why _should_ Weiss have to be the one to fix everything?

She was miserable here; he didn't have to be psychic to know it. Weiss hated everything about this fake holiday, the Metelia family and everything else. Every meeting she went to, every dress fitting or social event was done with such reluctance, such frustration, that he wondered how she hadn't snapped and killed someone already.

He knew it. Weiss knew it. Winter knew it.

And yet she continued to take part.

"Is it really right to suggest someone give up their dream, though?"

"I do not know." Winter looked away briefly, eyes narrowing as she gazed out over the ocean. "That is a question I struggle with. If I push the issue, do I become the monster for forcing my will on my sister? If I ignore it, am I condemning my sister to unhappiness? Are all dreams good dreams? If someone's ambition becomes to harm themselves or worse, is it not right to intervene and try to help them?"

"Yeah. I guess…"

"Then is it not right to intervene in a good dream that may lead someone to ruin?"

He didn't have an answer.

Blake's ambition was a little similar, wasn't it? She wanted to fix the White Fang, to singlehandedly stop them, and while that was a worthwhile ambition, it had nearly gotten her killed. Him, too. After, Yang had worked her ass off to try and get Blake to quit it. Did that make her an asshole? Sun didn't think so.

"I guess it depends on the intent," he said carefully. "And how you go about it. If you're trying to do something for their benefit, then there's nothing wrong with that."

"Indeed." Winter's nails tapped on her glass. "Sadly, Weiss is stubborn and refuses to listen to me. She believes her aspiration just – which it is – but she cannot, or perhaps refuses, to see what it will lead to in the short-term. If she must please father until the day he hands control over to her, then she will be his slave for the next twenty years at least. He may allow her some small freedom, but the greatest decisions in life will never be hers to make."

Sheesh. Sun tried to take a drink but found his hand wouldn't respond. It was shaking too much. He wanted nothing more than to run across the resort, find Weiss and drag her away from all of this. Drag her away and convince her to be his.

But then, Weiss wasn't some damsel in distress. She didn't need him to rescue her, and the only one keeping her locked up in some tower was herself. Weiss was trapped in a prison of her own making; the only control Jacques had over her being the control she granted him.

There was nothing he could do to save her, and worse, he'd promised to stand by and help her on this doomed voyage of hers, sacrificing his own happiness at the same time. Sure, he could move on. Find someone else to love. Maybe it would be Blake; maybe it still _was_ Blake. He didn't know.

He just didn't know.

"I don't mean to tell you any of this with the intent to have you change it," Winter said, reaching over to touch his hand gently. Her eyes told him she'd seen his reaction, seen his anger. "In fact, I would not even mention it to Weiss were I you. She is committed to her goal and painfully stubborn. I fear that if she heard the words from you, she would lash out and hurt you unintentionally. And, in doing so, hurt herself by losing you."

Sun swallowed and nodded. "I get it. That does sound like her. Why tell me, then? Why tell me if there isn't a thing I can do about it?"

"So that you might understand. I have tried my hardest, but Weiss is the only one who can decide for herself what she truly wants. It may be that she chooses her ambition over you, hurting you deeply. It is my hope – nay, it is my humble request – that you understand her reasons for this. That you stand by her as a friend, even if what you have is not what either of you truly desire. It is also my hope you can move on after and remain friends. I apologise if what I have told you hurts in some way; I believe you needed to know, however."

"I… I won't let this come between us if that's what you mean. I won't let my feelings ruin a good friendship."

"I am relieved to hear it. I realise this is not an easy conversation to have."

It wasn't.

"What do _you_ think she should do?" he asked.

"I think she should ask herself what _she_ wants," Winter said. "Not what everyone else wants of her. In the end, those expecting her to give up her personal happiness to stop the SDC's treatment of faunus workers are acting no differently than our father. They are demanding she do what they want out of misplaced obligation. In the end, Weiss' wishes are never considered. She is simply a Schnee; a means to an end."

Sun swallowed and put his food down. He didn't feel so hungry anymore.

/-/

"You will be going to the dance with Azure."

"That has not yet been decided. Azure is a fine gentleman, but it would be scandalous of me not to attend with my date, Sun. That said, I am willing to dance and interact with Azure at the event." Weiss thought she was being fairly mature, not refusing her father outright but offering a veiled compromise instead. Her problem, she decided, was that she'd forgotten that her father could be anything but.

Sat at a private breakfast, Jacques was free to display the pettiness which had made him what he was today and glowered at her for daring to disagree with anything he'd said. If she'd had her way, she wouldn't be interacting with him at all, but one did not forego a summons from the head of the Schnee family.

Not if she wanted to remain a part of it, and in line to take over the SDC.

"It's time to stop playing games, Weiss. I have indulged you enough with this farce."

"What farce, father?"

Jacques leaned forward, hands upon the table. "We both know that this boy is little more than a shield. You may think yourself cunning, but it is as obvious to me as it is anyone else. You had no such relation at Beacon, nor in Atlas, and the first anyone hears of it is your arrival here."

"We wanted to keep it quiet."

"Do not insult my intelligence."

Weiss scowled.

"Your rebellious nature does you no credit and embarrasses the family name, not to mention it makes me look the fool to have suggested a union when my daughter is with another man. This has a knock-on effect on our reputation on an international scale."

That would be his problem, surely? Weiss did not say it. Jacques could very easily make it her problem.

"I have put up with this because I thought I might give you a chance to be mature, to prove that you are deserving of the Schnee name."

"I _am_ deserving."

 _More than you,_ she thought.

"Are you? I have yet to see the evidence. You tarnish our name-"

"The name is already tarnished. Many speak of the SDC with bile in their tone, while an entire people rebel against us. None of this was true before you took over."

Jacques moved quickly – though not so quickly that she could not have dodged if she wanted to. She did not, turning her head to the side as his hand struck her cheek. Dodging would only make him angrier.

"The SDC would have died long ago were it not for me." Jacques' face was red, and he hissed his words. "I am the sole reason you have the life you have, the education you have, the manor, your sister, your career. Everything. Do not dare to lecture me on my business acumen when you have shown none. You're as idealistic and foolish as your grandfather."

"He was loved by everyone."

"For _dragging_ his own company into the dirt! He was loved for giving away, for fixing everyone's problems so that they wouldn't have to put the effort in to fix their own. Do you think he would have been beloved when his business crashed, and the handouts ceased? Do you believe anyone he helped would have stepped in to help your mother? No! Once the generosity ceases, so too does the people's regard for you. Nicholas Schnee was a failure of a businessman. Any idiot can throw money away and drive a business into the ground. Styling yourself after him does you no favours."

"I have never had a chance to show my business skill."

Jacques snorted. "Through no choice of mine, Weiss. It is _you_ who decided to run off to Beacon and play huntress. You may delude yourself into thinking I have kept you out of the family business, but it is you who chose to leave. Had you stayed, you might be having that chance right now. Or did you think I would keep you around the house as some ornament? That I have allowed you to remain heiress at all is a sign of my patience, not some hidden potential within you." His eyes narrowed. "And my patience runs thin, Weiss. More so with your recent actions."

Weiss glared back. "And I'm to fix it by spreading my legs for the first boy you put before me?"

"Do not be so crass. I did not come to force you into marrying the brat, only to show respect to his family in giving him the opportunity to woo you. The decision was always yours; though, I am beginning to think I gave you too much credit there."

"The Metelia family have been insulted gravely," he continued. "They have shown much generosity not only in allowing the deal to continue but accommodating both you and your `friend`. They came expecting a meeting between Azure and you, with the potential for more, and now believe that I misled them. This insult will stain the Schnee name."

"If you had asked me if I were single, I could have told you…"

"What? That you are, but you have no interest? That your career means more – even as you profess your desire to take over the company once I retire? Why should I trust the SDC to someone who has another dream before it?"

"You would give it to Whitley, then?"

"Should I not? He is not as cunning as you I will admit, but he would give the SDC his full attention; something you have shown you cannot. He would know better than to play games that damage the company's reputation. He would not claim to be the heir with one hand, and then abandon all duty to play huntsman with the other."

Weiss swallowed. Though she hated to admit it, her father did have a point about her not being as committed to the SDC as she could have been. Coming to Beacon had been an act of rebellion in itself; an attempt to escape him. Bringing Sun here had been another, and apparently one too many.

"If your relationship with the boy were real, I might hesitate to enforce this, but it is clearly not. I have asked in Vale and it is known that you are single."

"You spied on me!?"

"The media did." There was not a hint of apology in his voice. "It was not difficult for me to buy and bury the story of your coming here before a scandal could hit. Did you think Weiss Schnee appearing with a faunus on her arm would not draw attention?"

She hadn't considered it, too busy trying to escape what felt like an arranged marriage.

"Fool. This is precisely why you are not ready to make your own decisions. You claim to want more freedom and responsibility, but all you achieve with it is causing the company more and more trouble. Bad enough you were not made team leader-"

"I didn't-"

"But to also cause this?" Jacques boomed, speaking over her. "The only reason I have not disinherited you already is because the competition you provide inspires Whitley to work harder. If he felt there was no one in his way, he might slack and become idle." His lips peeled back. "Do not think for a moment that your position is safe, Weiss. The title of heiress is a position earned, not granted."

Her hands tightened under the table. She wanted nothing more than to stand, throw her glass of water into his face and storm away – and damn whatever he said in return. But if she did that, she'd lose her position. The SDC would never be reformed. She'd fail Blake and every other faunus out there.

Slowly, she lowered her head. "What is it you want, father?"

"I want you to stop this petty rebellion. To stop acting like it is _me_ you need to rebel against. If you truly do not want to do this, say so. I will strip the position of heiress from you and you will be free to pursue whatever goals you wish."

Weiss' face paled. "N-No."

"No? You put my in a difficult spot, Weiss. What is it you want? You want to remain heiress but have no responsibility and galivant off in Vale fighting the Grimm? You want to take over after me, but wish to put no effort into it?"

He scoffed. "You act as though it is I who holds you back, when the truth is that _you_ are the one who desires this position. The only one you are rebelling against is yourself, hence why your recent actions are the height of immaturity. And is that even fair to your brother who _does_ wish to be heir, and who _does_ wish to be a part of the company? Who _wants_ to prove himself? Is it fair to constantly deny him that chance because his older sister – who runs around having her own fun – still wants to keep the power and the influence?"

"That's not…"

"It's not what, Weiss? Not fair?" Jacques leaned forward. "Tell me how it isn't fair. Tell me how I am asking too much in asking you to at least _act_ like the future leader of the Schnee Dust Corporation that you claim to be."

Weiss' head lowered.

"You to ask Azure to this dance. You will spend time with him, you will agree to date him and cease this facade with your little faunus boytoy, and, if all goes well, you may make the decision yourself on whether to let it progress to marriage. I care not what the result is. You are the one who would need to live with him. Regardless, you will go through the motions until this deal is fulfilled."

Weiss bit her lip. She felt sick. Sick, weak and helpless.

"Am I understood, Weiss?"

"Yes father…"

"Good."

/-/

Weiss stepped out of the restaurant and onto the poolside area. Her expression calm, her head held high, her face serene. At least on the outside. As she made her way back to the lodge, she paused on the steps leading down onto the beach to watch as a woman crept up on a sunbathing man and dropped cold ocean water on his chest. He yelped, stood and chased the happily shrieking woman across the beach, eventually catching and drawing her in for a heated kiss.

The woman wrapped her arms around his neck. Their friends laughed, cheered and hooted at one another. Others watched on, smiling or simply enjoying the sight.

Swallowing, Weiss turned away from the happy scene.

/-/

Sun stood on his own veranda looking out over the ocean. The pristine waters glistened as far as they eye could see, reflecting the bright sunlight to dazzle and blind. A few fish swam lazily beneath the veranda, enjoying the shade, while birds circled high above, looking for prey.

Simple. Serene. Peaceful. The ocean made sense. It didn't think, lie or make matters more complicated than they had to be. It simply was.

The door opened behind him and Weiss called out a greeting. Tight, controlled, fake. The complete neutrality of her tone betrayed her mood just as much as it would have if she'd punched her hand through the mirror.

Hiding his feelings, Sun turned away from the clear ocean.

/-/

Azure watched as the birds lazily twisted through the air, ducking and diving in the currents, spreading their wings wide and gliding through the open sky. Mistralian Red-Tails. An endangered species, though one that had found a home here. He envied them that.

There was a knock on the door a moment before it entered.

"Azure." his mother called. "Azure, where are-? There you are. Wasting your time watching the birds again? Sometimes I wonder about you. Never mind, I have wonderful news!"

He spoke without turning around. "What is it, mother?"

"I've spoken to Mr Schnee and he's said that Weiss and Sun have broken up and that she wants to go to the dance tomorrow with you. Isn't that wonderful?"

Azure's fingers clenched the banister. "Wonderful…" he whispered.

"Yes, yes, I know. Took the little girl long enough, but I suppose it takes time for someone to realise what's best for them. Come, come. We need to check your suit one more time, and then have your hair cut. I've also had Schwarz come from Mistral to help teach you to waltz, dear. I know you're proficient, but you need to make a splash tomorrow." Millennia paused. "Well, dear? Come on. You don't have all day to stand there watching the birds. Hurry now."

Slowly, Azure stepped away from the railing, never once taking his eyes off the elegant birds dancing in the sky. He longed to join them.

Plastering a smile he didn't feel onto his face, Azure turned away from the open sky.

* * *

 **So, in the first draft of this I somewhat ruined the serious tone at the end of this chapter by saying "Azure watched as the birds lazily twisted through the air, FUCKING and diving" instead of ducking and diving.**

 **Would have had a very different tone if I'd left that in. lol.**

 **Ooh, Azure, you perv.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 19** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm glad to see so many people liked me depicting Jacques with a little more character than he has in the show. He's pretty much a caricature there. One or two didn't seem to like him having a logical argument, but the vast majority certainly did.**

 **I couldn't really write him as he is in the show. I mean, he's just** **bland.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Terakali

 **Chapter 11**

* * *

Everything had gone wrong.

Weiss had thought they'd sorted things out, made a deal, set things straight, but when she returned that afternoon and told him she'd be going to the dance with Azure, Sun looked like his entire world had come crashing down around his feet.

His hurt made her feel the same. Made her defensive. What right did he have to look at her like that?

"It's something I have to do."

"Have to? Or something you've been _told_ to do."

Weiss' lips drew down. "I don't see how that's any of your business."

"Really? Coz it looks like it's affecting me, so I'd say it is."

"It's not about you."

"Classy."

Weiss threw her hands in the air and scowled at him. The simmering anger she'd been wearing as she entered their little lodge burst to the fore. "What do you want from me, Sun? What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to stop doing what your father wants."

"Do you? Or do you want me to start doing what _you_ want?" Weiss tossed her head and turned away. "I know what you want, Sun. You want me on _your_ arm. You want me to drop everything and go with you."

She expected him to deny it.

He didn't.

"Yeah, fine. Maybe I do; I never claimed to be perfect - but I also want you to do what _you_ want. If that's Azure, then fine, but we both know you've not had a change of heart there." He leaned against the wall and somehow made the action look sarcastic. "Not in the time it took for you to have a meal with your dad."

"How would you know? Maybe I'm fickle."

"Damn it, Weiss. Stop actin' stupid."

" _I'm_ not the one acting like a moron," she hissed. If anything, she was being the opposite. Rational. Logical. Cold and calculating. "You… This was always fake," she said, pointing to the two of them. "Make believe. An act. I thought we could fool them, but we haven't fooled anyone. Anyone other than you, obviously. You're the only one who ever thought it might be more than it was."

His eyes flickered.

 _Don't make me hurt you, Sun. Not like this. Just take the easy way out._

"That's it, then? You're going with Sun despite all the shit we've been through, and me? What am I supposed to do?"

Weiss' eyes closed. Her stomach felt like it was hanging around her knees. If he came, it would be nothing short of miserable, both for him and for her. Father would ridicule him. The Metelia family would mock him.

"Don't come, Sun. Just… stay here."

It would be easier on him that way.

Sun's mouth opened and closed. He tried to speak but the words wouldn't come. Emotions flashed across his face, running the entire spectrum, until, with a shake of his head, he stood and walked past her.

Weiss grabbed his arm. "Don't go."

"Why? You want me out the way; I'm just giving you that."

"I don't… Can't you see that this isn't what I want? It's not about what I want to do, Sun. It's about what I have to do. For the company, for the Schnee name. It's not even real. I just have to pretend, to give him a chance and then say no later."

"And what?" he asked. "I'm supposed to wait? Wait and watch while my heart breaks?"

"I… I don't know…"

"And tell me, Weiss, do you ever think your father would okay us? If you're going to keep doing what he wants, when do you expect he'll let you make your own decisions?"

He wouldn't. Not with Sun. Not with a faunus.

Sun pulled out of her grasp.

Desperate, Weiss tried one last time. "It's not my choice!"

"We always have a choice, Weiss," he said, standing by the door. "Looks like you've made yours."

It slammed shut behind him.

/-/

Azure found him off the side of the beach, sat atop a collection of rocks out the way of the usual clientele, skipping rocks into the waves. He didn't manage a single bounce, the pebbles swallowed whole and washed away into the surf.

Without a word, Azure clambered up and sat down beside him.

The two watched the sun approach the horizon, turning a dusky red.

"This wasn't my idea," he eventually said.

"I know, man." Sun tossed another pebble at an approaching wave. "I know."

"It's not fair."

"Tell me about it."

"I didn't want this. Never."

"None of us do, Azure. None of us do." Casting his last stone, Sun sighed when it fell into the drink with a plop and was washed away. "I don't blame you, by the way. If that's what you're thinking."

Azure sighed. "I don't know how. I'm causing you so many problems…"

"You don't blame the sun for burning you or the sand for not growing crops. Old Vacuan proverb. You're alright, Azure. It's everyone else that's messed up. Weiss, especially."

"Are you…?"

"Over?" They'd never been, but for the sake of Weiss' little charade, he nodded. "Yeah. We're over. You're welcome to try your luck now if you like. You'll have a better chance with him than me."

"Him?"

"Jacques." Sun smiled mirthlessly. "It's him you have to impress, after all. Not Weiss."

"That's perhaps a little unfair…"

It was. Then again, Sun wasn't in the mood to be nice. Weiss might not have been behind all this, but she sure as hell didn't fight to keep him. Then again, who had? Blake acted like he was a pain in the ass most of the time and hadn't even spared him a thought after he nearly died helping her at the docks.

 _Neptune cares,_ he reminded himself.

Heh. Maybe it was time he tried his luck there instead.

"Sun, I…" Azure cut off, biting his lip. "I…"

"You're sorry. You're sorry about everythin' that happened and if you could fix it, you would."

Wordlessly, Azure nodded.

"I know, man. It's cool. Like I said, I'm not gonna hate you for what other people are doin' behind your back." His accent slipped back, probably due to all the emotions raging on inside. "If you like her, give it a shot. I can't promise it'll be easy, but… she's worth it. I guess. Just… look after her if it works out, okay?"

Azure looked miserable.

Sun felt miserable.

"The dance is in a few hours," Azure said. "Mother wants me to go to another fitting in two hours' time. My third." He sighed. "As if I've suddenly put on inches in the time since this morning."

Sun laughed. "Sounds tough."

"Pointless, more like. I feel like a trophy son being thrown around and shown off. I want to go rock climbing, sailing or just out into the wilderness, but apparently that's not suitable for someone like me. Can't scrape my knee or pick up a scar. God forbid I get dirt under my nails. Sometimes, I wish I could just run away from it all. I'm just not sure what I'd do. How I'd survive."

"Not as easy as people make it sound. I tried the orphan business as a kid. Not worth it."

"I'd be even more useless," Azure said. "I'm used to this. Dependent on it."

"Don't beat yourself up over it."

"What would you do in my place, Sun?"

"Honestly, I've no idea." He snorted. "What would you do in mine?"

"Punch me in the face…"

Sun burst out laughing. Azure joined in after a few seconds.

When it came to an end, Sun shook his head. "Man, we're both pathetic…"

"I was thinking the same thing," Azure agreed. "I just didn't want to say it." Sighing the other man stood. "I've got two hours before mother has to hunt me down. Want to go and do something?"

He didn't. He wanted to sit on his rock and feel sorry for himself.

Standing, Sun shook off those thoughts.

"Do what?"

"Something. Anything. Just escape from this shit for a while."

"Heh. Sounds good."

/-/

The jet skis skimmed over the water side by side, cutting through the waves and bouncing atop the surf. With more water sprayed up behind them and long trails left behind, Sun whooped into the cold breeze buffeting his face.

"This is awesome!"

"Told you it would be," Azure shouted back, bouncing up and down on his own.

"You sure we're okay to just take them, though?"

"What are they going to do? Ban me from the resort?" Azure laughed.

Sun joined in. Out on the open sea, or still in the bay but away from Jacques, Weiss and all the issues left behind, Sun finally felt free. There was nothing out here other than him, Azure and the birds flying high above.

It wouldn't last, he knew, but for now, it let him forget anything else existed.

"Watch this!" Azure called, swerving left suddenly and cutting across Sun's stream. Azure's jet ski bumped up into the air, clearing a good two feet off the water's surface before it came crashing back down. It dipped into the water a little but was quickly pushed back out and surfed on.

"Nice! You're good at this, man."

Pulling back alongside him, Azure grinned. Like Sun, his face was twisted into a wide grin, his cheeks red from the wind biting it. "Had plenty of practice. You'd think there's a lot to do out here, but there kind of isn't."

"Most people would kill to be able to do this every day!"

"Yeah? Do it a hundred times in a row and see if it's still new and exciting to you." Azure twisted the handles and swerved the jet ski again, cutting lazily behind Sun and through his wake. He didn't go fast enough to catch some air, but rather zig-zagged behind him. "More fun with a friend, though. You should hang around after the week is up."

"Would if I could, man. Got school. Big event coming up."

"The Vytal Festival?"

"Yeah. I'm competing."

"Cool! I should come and watch."

"You should!" Sun said. "Let me know if you do. I could introduce you to my team."

"Ha. It's a plan. I'll tell mother it's to cheer for Weiss or something."

Azure realised his mistake a second too late and went silent.

Sun cringed and looked away but tried to recover and keep the mood up. "Sounds good. I hope to see you there."

"Y-Yeah." Azure tried to do the same. "I'll make it work."

Shaking his head, Sun looked out ahead, over into the ocean. A flash of light caught his eye. For a moment, he thought it the reflection of the low sun on the water, splashing red off the surface. When it blinked again, however, he realised it wasn't. The light bobbed up and down and was blinking as well, like something trapped in the waves.

Sun brought his jet ski to a slow pace. Azure, behind, reacted quickly and did the same, pulling up alongside Sun and bobbing up and down in the waves. "What's up?" he asked.

"I saw something over there." Sun pointed. "A red light. Could someone be out there?"

Azure followed his gaze. "I don't-" The light came up again. "I see it! Not sure what it is. If there's someone out there, though, we should do what we can. The currents here can be strong, and some people underestimate them."

Sun followed Azure as the two swept toward the light, out into the deeper water. The lifeguards should have noticed someone being pulled out, but it was late and there was always a chance they hadn't. If it wasn't a person, Sun wasn't sure what it would be. Some piece of machinery, maybe. The light was obviously a beacon of some kind as they approached. It kept pulsing in a way that just wasn't found in nature.

The two jetted towards it.

/-/

Weiss' head shot up as she heard the knock on the door. Hurrying over, she pulled it open, her words dying on her tongue as she realised it was Winter outside. "Oh. I thought…" She trailed off weakly.

"That I was Sun?" Winter asked.

"No."

"Hm." Winter obviously didn't believe her. "Can I come in? I thought you might appreciate a little company."

"Actually, I think I'd rather be alone."

"I heard you and Sun arguing earlier."

"I'd definitely like to be alone," Weiss said, pushing the door shut.

Winter's foot caught it before she could. Bodily pushing her way inside, Winter closed the door behind her and locked them in together.

"Or, maybe not," Weiss said with just a touch of spite. "Of course, Winter. Come on in. Would you like some tea? I should have prepared cakes for you."

"Your temper does you no credit here, Weiss. I'll forgive it since I know your situation is troubling, but I'd ask you to direct it at the one responsible for this mess."

"Father?"

Winter gazed down on her.

Weiss looked away.

 _Me…_

"I didn't mean to interfere at first and actively tried not to. Your life is yours to live and I cannot hold you to the same decisions I made. For me, leaving the SDC was a simple decision. I cared neither for father's ambition or his achievements. I wanted nothing of it."

"I do!" Weiss argued. "And it's not just because father wants me to. I _want_ to change the SDC."

"Why?"

"Because it's my dream. It's what I want to do. Is that so bad?"

"No." Winter sat on Weiss' stool and crossed her legs. "Your ambition in life is whatever you want it to be, and if that is it, then that is all there is to it. You shall have to make sacrifices, of course. I'm sure you're already aware of them."

How could she not be? Weiss scowled and looked away.

"I'll survive."

"I'm sure you will. Father is hardly going to ask you to die; even he is not that callous. Anything else that happens will affect you emotionally, not physically. So yes, Weiss, you will survive, and you will endure. But it may not be in the way you might hope."

"I'm prepared for that."

"Good. You should be."

It annoyed Weiss more that Winter wasn't trying to change her mind like Sun had. Such foolishness was unbecoming, of course. She'd never thought like this before – and yet, just as father said, it wasn't because she'd been strong. It was because he'd played along with her little games and let her go to Beacon. Let her escape her responsibilities for a time.

Only for a time; not forever.

"Sun was never someone I was interested in," Weiss said suddenly. "He was a complete stranger, more my friend's paramour than anyone I talked to. I don't think I've ever exchanged two sentences with him before this trip."

"I never spoke to General Ironwood before working with him," Winter pointed out. "Anyone has the potential to become someone important to us, where that is platonically or not. It's all a matter of exposure. Exposure and time spent together. Correct me if I am wrong, Weiss, but you do care for him, yes?"

"Of course." He was a bumbling idiot, but then she was used to people like that. "He's a good friend. I want the best for him. And frankly, I'm not what's best – and yes, I know, it's his choice who he likes or not." Weiss rolled her eyes. "That's not what I'm saying. I'm only saying that I can't pursue a relationship with him, and pining after me is only going to make him miserable."

"I agree wholeheartedly," Winter said.

It was a blow to Weiss' gut.

Wide eyed, she looked down at her feet.

"If you're committed to this path, then you should remain committed. Nothing will be achieved if you waste time trying to work on two things at once. Decide which path you want and take it. If you wish to take over the SDC from within, you will need father's support. That means abandoning your dalliance with Sun."

"We're not… It's not dalliance…"

"Weiss, I _saw_ the two of you on that balcony."

The blood drained from her face.

"It's hard to mistake what I saw at that moment, and though I did not wish to intrude, I am neither blind nor stupid. You are young and impulsive and you're spending time with a young man who is both kind, attentive and physically attractive. I'd find it more worrying if you _didn't_ notice that. A response like yours and his is no big deal, especially when no other than I noticed."

"Y-Yes." Red faced, Weiss couldn't quite meet Winter's eyes. "I… Well… we…"

"You do not need to explain yourself, Weiss."

"T-Thank you…"

"What I am saying is that this is going to be a problem as long as you're undecided. Desire, if that is what you want to call this, is fleeting. While I could imagine the two of you working out together, I can just as easily see you staying friends and nothing else. There are plenty more fish in the sea, as the saying goes. Sun even has this paramour back home that you speak of."

"Blake. He… She offered to take him to the dance if he did this for me. If he helped me."

"There you have it." Winter waved a hand. "Once this is over and you return, Sun will find himself surrounded by women his own age. If anything, his attraction to you is likely compounded by your proximity and the lack of alternatives, many of the women here either being older or only seeing him as a faunus. In Beacon, he will likely return to pining after this Blake girl and you will no longer have to worry about his affection or his attention."

"Yes." Weiss shook a little. "You're right. It… He… Things will go back to normal…"

"And this will be good for you, yes?"

Weiss swallowed. Her stomach rolled and she felt sick, but then, Winter hadn't said `it's what you want`. Only `it's good for you`. If one considered her goal and the sacrifices she would have to make, then yes, Sun leaving to pursue Blake was beneficial. In a purely rational sense.

Perhaps when that happened, she would not feel quite so affected either. With Neptune back and before her, not to mention the possibility she might still be dating Azure, if only officially, there would be a lot to focus on. To say nothing of the Vytal Festival, Team RWBY and all the other aspects of her life as a huntress.

Why, when the festival was over, Sun would return to Mistral.

He'd be gone. Perhaps they might keep in touch, but it would always be from a distance and with a barrier between them. With hormones and his eyes away from her, life would be all too easy to slip back into.

All too normal…

"I… I feel sick…"

Winter placed a hand on her back and sat down beside her. "You can't afford to," she said, not unkindly. "Father will throw a fit if you miss tonight. I would like to say I know how it feels, but I've not found someone to feel this way about, so the words would ring hollow. What I _will_ say is that pain is fleeting. If this is truly the path you wish to take, then the pain you feel will not last forever. It may hurt now, and for a while, but do not believe it when people say there is only one correct choice in life. You might find true love on your own, true happiness and a glorious life. Sun may find that also, and you will look back on this time and laugh at it."

They might.

But then, they might just as easily not.

"What you must do, however, is make it clear to him. He deserves as much."

"I… I've tried."

"You have said the words, Weiss, but you haven't meant them. I can see that, and I'm sure he can."

 _Don't go._

Those two simple words. Two words that conflicted with the `Get out of my life` she'd given him a moment before. Weiss' face fell into her hands. There were no tears, just a frustrated groan at her own stupidity.

In public, Winter might have rebuked her for such a display.

Here, her sister rubbed her back.

"I am not nearly as important to father as you are," Winter said. "If you decide to go with Azure, tell me and I shall make my excuses. Though I cannot offer him what he wants, I can take his minds off events by sparring with him. Combat has ever been the huntsman's choice for working out frustrations. I'll keep his mind off you for the night."

Kindness from Winter; Weiss hadn't expected it. Not on Sun's behalf. He must have made a good impression on her. Something Weiss hadn't thought possible at first.

"Thank you. I… I appreciate that. I don't want to hurt him."

"He's going to be hurt one way or the other. Make it quick and then offer what support you can. Do not leave him trapped in a cycle of doubt and forlorn hope."

Weiss understood. Do what she had with Jaune, for all that Jaune didn't catch on. Make it clear, abrupt and then step back. If Sun was hurt, she would try and help him, but if he wanted distance, then she would accept that as well.

In truth, it hurt her just as much. The truth often hurt.

That didn't make it bad advice on Winter's part, however.

"I'll tell him. It's only fair. Perhaps in another life we could have worked out." Bitterly, Weiss smiled. "This is not that life. He should stay with Blake. He'll be happier there. She'll love him as I can't. If she doesn't, someone else will. He's too great not to find someone."

Winter opened her mouth to respond, only for a low, droning sound to ring out over the resort, reaching even their lodges. It was a deep and long sound, almost like a horn a ship might use when coming into harbour but repeating over and over.

An alarm of some kind.

"What's happening?"

"I don't know." Winter stood. "But I intend to find out. Come, Weiss."

/-/

It was a light. A red light attached to a large tube that cut across the water. When waves came up in front of it, it bobbed out of sight and was then revealed when the waves brought it up again. The tube itself was easily two metres wide and looked solid enough to stand on. There were numerous lights up and down it, but this one was blinking on and off, a bright, angry red.

"It's the defence measures," Azure explained, bringing his jet ski up to the side of it. He pulled off a bit of chain and hooked it around a metal bar, climbing out onto the tubing.

"Hey, is that safe?"

"It should be." Azure balanced himself easily. The tube was solid, it seemed. Following Azure's example, Sun hooked his own jet ski up and hopped onto it. "This is the steel-frame netting that protects the bay," Azure explained. "It keeps out big marine animals that might cause problems; either for swimmers or themselves. Don't need a whale stuck in the bay."

"Why is it flashing red?"

"I'm not sure. I guess there's something wrong." Azure peeked over both sides. "I can't see anything obvious."

"I'll take a look," Sun said, jumping off on the inside. He barely heard Azure's exclamation of shock before he hit the water. Swimming down, he quickly saw that the word `netting` was unfitting. It was a solid wall of powerful steel cables coiled around one another. It formed a cross-shaped lattice structure to let small fish in and out, and so it didn't dam the bay. The structure carried out far out of sight down below and into the darkness on either side.

Further down, something was sticking out of the net.

 _Is that the problem? Best take a look._ Kicking himself deeper, Sun swam down to see what it was. It looked like a stick – or several sticks – caught in the netting, but as he came closer, he realised that was well off the mark.

The stick were the coiled metal threads of the net. They were bent inward like sharp stakes. Bent inward because they'd been snapped, and because there was a _huge_ hole in the structure itself. A huge hole bent _inwards_.

Sun powered his way back to the surface, heart beating wildly.

He broke it and found Azure on hands and knees, looking out the other side.

"Get on the jet ski!" Sun yelled.

"S-Sun? What is it?"

"Get on the damned jet ski and get back to the beach! Warn them!" He swam towards his jet ski. "There's a fucking hole in the net. There's something in the bay!"

Azure's eyes grew wide.

They were fixed over Sun's shoulder.

"BEHIND YOU!"

The surf erupted behind Sun as a large, black shape breached the surface of the water and swept towards them. The currents dragged Sun out the way in time and sent him crashing into his jet ski as he held on for dear life. The colossal beast in bone plates continued, however, slamming into the netting and the tube that Azure was stood upon. With a cry, Azure was cast into the water and swept under. Azure's jet ski was battered and tossed aside in a shower of sparks.

"AZURE!"

Throwing himself off his jet ski, Sun dove down and surged through the water, spotting Azure in the distance – shocked but, to Sun's immense relief, still in one piece. The other teen gathered himself and swam up towards the surface.

Sun reached him a second later. "Azure!"

"I-I'm okay," the teen spluttered. "Oh my God. W-Was that a Grimm!? The nets; they were supposed to keep them out!"

"They were and did. But it looks like something broke through over time."

The Grimm, which had tangled itself in the netting once more, was pulling free. He couldn't make out the full shape or size of it, and thus couldn't tell the species, but it was easily four or five times the size of a shark and as dangerous as any other Grimm. In the water, it would be worse. Especially since he didn't have his weapon or any solid ground to stand on.

Neither of them did.

"I'll distract it and you get to my ski and get out of here," he hissed. "Warn everyone in the bay. Get Weiss and Winter."

"W-What about you?"

"Forget about me!" Sun yelled. "I'm a huntsman. I deal with this all the time."

It looked like Azure was about to argue, so Sun twisted and planted both feet on Azure's chest, then kicked him away. It wasn't his best move, especially with no footing, but Azure was carried a fair distance away and dunked underwater, right as the Grimm broke free with a shower of sparks and an angry roar.

"OI!" Sun roared back, splashing the water with both hands. "You lookin' for someone? I'm over here!" Placing his hands together, Sun concentrated and brought forth two clones. They immediately began to sink, his control slacking thanks to the water. "Three for the price of one!"

The Grimm surged towards him.

"Just my luck…"

Swimming to the side, Sun managed to get out the way of the beast's jaws, though its bulk still clipped him and drove the air from his lungs. That proved a bigger problem when he sunk underwater and had to drag his way back up for another breath. The top of its body skimmed through the waves as it came around for another attempt. Sun spared a quick glance to Azure and saw the teen dragging himself up onto the tube and scrambling for the jet ski moored there.

At least he was okay.

Sun wasn't sure he could say the same for himself. Aura would protect him, but not if he was swallowed whole or dragged underwater and suffocated. The moment he fainted, so too would his control, leaving him defenceless. He'd be torn in two.

Fighting it was out of the question. Unless he could get on top of the netting. At least there, difficult as the terrain might be, he could stand on two feet.

With that in mind, when Sun dodged the next attempt to swallow him whole, he stretched a hand out and snagged onto a piece of its bony plate. He barely had the time to take a big gulp of air before he was dragged under.

The water resistance buffeted his body as he surged through the currents courtesy of the creature. Finally able to see it fully, he realised it was a shark of some kind, its body large and armoured in the centre with a fearsome jaw full of teeth and a long and powerful tail. He had hold on the back of its skull, which lay outside its body. Holding his breath, he managed to get hold with his other hand before he could be thrown off.

The Grimm thrashed in the water in an attempt to dislodge him. Mindless and angry, it rolled and swam furiously from side to side, breaking the surface every now and then, during which Sun took a desperate breath of air.

If it had been smarter, it would have simple dove down until he had to let go, then rammed him to keep him down until he drowned. Luckily, it wasn't. Roaring underwater – a deep and rumbling sound – the Grimm surged forward and rammed itself into the steel netting once more, shaking it furiously and stretching a few more cables.

Sun took the chance to let go and grab on. The Grimm didn't realise immediately, and he scaled the cables quickly, summoning another two clones just to act as diversions. If he concentrated, he could make them attack on their own, but concentration – and oxygen – were in short supply.

Crashing up out of the water once more, Sun wasted no time catching his breath and instead lunged for the metal piping on the side of the net's flotation tube, using that to drag himself up out the water. A quick look down showed a dark shape surging up and he threw himself to the side, rolling out the way and then holding on tight.

The Grimm hitting the tube lifted it a good five feet out the water, before gravity, and tension, sent it crashing back down. Sun's head slammed back into the metal and he groaned. If it wasn't for his aura, he'd have been knocked out.

In the distance, sirens were sounding. Someone had noticed.

It wasn't Azure leaving, though. To Sun's horror, he realised the idiot was coming _back_. Coming to try and help him.

"Go back!" Sun screamed, waving a hand. "Back!"

"Sun!" Azure called.

"GET BACK!"

"I'm not leaving you there!"

Damned idiot was going to get himself killed! The Grimm had noticed and gone for Azure now, who revved his jet ski and tore to the left, drawing it away from Sun's stretch of tubing. The Grimm tore through the water in pursuit.

"Shit, shit, shit." Slamming a hand down, Sun sprinted after them, looking for anything he could use as a weapon. The pipe might have made for a staff, but that wasn't any good. Stave fighting required footing and solid ground. The Grimm wasn't going to come out the water and fight him and swinging a staff underwater would be pointless. "My life for a harpoon right now, damn it."

Azure tore back across with the Grimm behind. It was obvious he was trying to pick Sun up so they could get back to the beach safely, but the Grimm was too close. Worse, Azure was skiing through its wake, which left the water choppy and dangerous. The jet ski bobbed and jumped, slammed down and swerved as it was caught by cross currents and swells. Only Azure's experience kept him upright and someone lesser would have been thrown from it already.

"Sun! Here!"

"Run, you idiot!"

"No. Catch!" When Azure shot by, he threw something with one hand, an underarm throw that carried the object through the air. Sun had to dive to catch it but managed to do so without falling off.

In his hands was a knife.

Not a good knife. Not a machete. Not a blade or anything else, but a diver's knife. Something sharp and water resistant, designed to cut through waterlogged rope, seaweed or anything else that might snag an unwary diver and endanger them.

It was a weapon. It would do. It would have to do. With something so small, Azure might just have saved his life.

At the cost of his own.

Already struggling for balance, reaching out to throw the knife had taken one hand off the steering, and when the jet ski struck the Grimm's wake, it leapt and twisted in the air, turning upside down. Azure was forced to let go or have it crash down on top of him, but that meant he spiralled through the air and fell into the water with a loud splash.

Right as the Grimm appeared and dove down in that very location.

"AZURE! NO!"

* * *

 **Surprise. Grimm.**

 **Bet we all forgot this was even a RWBY story.**

 **True story, but once on holiday me and my parents were actually boated out to visit a net like this designed to keep sharks out – and while we were on it, a huge storm came in and the boatman said we couldn't make it back. We had to huddle on it for two hours as the waves threatened to drag us down and the boatman kept praying loudly to Jesus. Scary times.**

 **Eventually, a far more competent sailor came and got us all off in a rescue craft. I was, like, six to eight at the time, and we found out after that we weren't even allowed to go out there, but the guy who offered us the trip was a confirmed scam artist on the beach who pretended to be a sailor and took people out for money.**

 **Nice…**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 5** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, here we go. We're reaching the end of this story**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Terakali

 **Chapter 12**

* * *

"AZURE!"

Sun watched the spot as bubbles frothed, a moment of shock that collapsed as he roared and dove off the netting, crashing into the waves with the knife gripped in hand. The water was murky, but the dark shape of the Grimm was unmistakeable. It had ceased its dive and was now headed back towards the surface.

In front of it, a much smaller figure was swimming upward.

Azure was struggling in the water, unable to hold his breath long enough to dodge under it and desperate to reach the surface once more, heedless of the beast below. Sun knew what would happen seconds before it did, but he still surged forward in a frantic bid to stop it.

The Grimm's jaws snapped down on Azure.

Blood pooled in the water.

 _No!_ Sun struggled against the swirling currents to bring himself closer, spotting through the mist of blood that Azure was trapped in the thing's mouth by his leg. He was still alive – the thrashing was an obvious sign – but it wouldn't be for long if the thing dragged him down, or even if it let go and snapped him in half.

Placing the knife between his teeth, Sun kicked towards it, twisting his body and landing with his feet on the side of its armoured carapace. His hand snagged out and caught its skull, holding him in place as it thrashed, trying to tear Azure's leg off entirely.

 _I won't let you,_ Sun thought, grabbed the dagger. _Get the fuck off him!_

The armour was too strong, and he could barley move his hand under the water. The first blow bounced off. The knife was made for slowly sawing through material, not stabbing or cutting flesh.

He aimed higher, forcing it slowly into the gap between the plates of bone, over the beast's eye. Swinging around, Sun placed his foot on the dagger's hilt and _kicked_ himself off it, forcing the blade down through the creature's membrane and into its eyeball.

The sound that escaped its throat echoed through the water.

It let go of Azure, though. The boy fell limp – shock and pain preventing him from making his way to the surface on his own. Sun swam up, caught him with an arm around his neck and began to kick his way to the surface.

When they broke it, Sun dragged Azure above the water.

"Azure!"

"Arghhhh!" The teen cried out. "Arghh!"

Alive. In pain, obviously, but alive. Sun heard a motor engine and waved his arm in the air wildly, unable to see it over the rolling waves but hoping it wouldn't be the same the other way around. "Oi!" he yelled. "Help!"

"Over there!" he heard someone, Winter Schnee, call. "Hurry!"

The white speedboat pulled up alongside them quickly. Weiss and Winter were on it, leaning over the edge. On seeing Azure and all the blood, they hurried to drag him on board, with Weiss pressing a blanket to his leg and holding it there.

"Grimm!" Sun panted, hauling up with a little help from Winter. "The netting is broken. There's a Grimm in the bay."

"We deal with it later," Winter snapped to the driver. "Get is back to shore! Quickly!"

The man was only too happy to obey, pulling the lever and driving the boat on, swerving it to the side as the water bubbled where they had just been. It was not a moment too soon, as a huge black shape broke through the water, spraying them and rocking the boat. Sun fell on his side and scrambled for someone he could use as a weapon.

Winter had a gun out already. He had no idea where it came from.

One shot. Two. The dust rounds impacted the beast's side while it was in the air and exposed. Scales and bits of bone flew off, while Weiss stood at the side, Myrtenaster held like a harpoon, but not sure what to do with it. To reach it, she'd have to jump into the water and the boat was already speeding away.

"It's giving chase!" she yelled.

Looking back to Azure, but knowing there was nothing he could do, Sun scrambled up and looked back. True to Weiss' words, the wake kicked up by their engine was being pursued by a black fin that cut through the water.

It was gaining on them.

If it hit the boat, they'd all be in the drink. Azure wouldn't survive that.

"Can you freeze the water?" he asked Weiss.

"No. Too much." Weiss didn't waste time with sarcasm or shock. "Winter, your Semblance…?"

The taller woman was already on it. White glyphs appeared behind her and she pointed forward, launching Nevermore towards the fin. None of them could penetrate the water with any force, however, and the fin itself didn't appear a weak spot. It was pecked and damaged, but the thing kept coming.

Trying once more, Winter sent two Beowolves into the water. They were hopeless but leapt in either to slow it down or hopefully distract it, giving it a new target.

It cared for neither.

"It's focused on the boat's engine," Winter hissed. "But we can't turn that off without being attacked." Winter stepped up onto the side of the boat.

Weiss caught her arm. "You can't mean to go in there!"

Even a fully-trained huntress would struggle in the water. If they were on a larger vessel that could stay upright, it wouldn't be such a problem but none of them could fight in the water, while it was perfectly designed to do so.

"Someone has to distract it," Winter said. "I do not intend to die but buying a little time might delay it enough for you to reach shore."

"The eye!" Sun yelled. "I stabbed a knife into its eye."

"That's all very good but-"

"If you hit the knife, it might go deeper," he explained.

Weiss' eyes widened. "Yes!"

Winter hummed but stepped back. "We'll only have the one shot, and you're without a weapon." It was their best bet however, and Winter threw an arm out. "Stand back. Give Weiss and I as much room as possible. Weiss, use ice dust. If you can freeze the eye that might cause more damage."

"I can distract it," Sun said, summoning some clones. Each of them grabbed the spare paddles in the boat, left there for if the engine died. The clones slipped by Weiss and Winter and crouched on the edge, ready to give their lives to distract the Grimm if needed.

The fin reached the ship and dipped under the water.

"Here it comes!" Winter yelled.

The giant maw reared up out of the waves behind them, its mouth open and revealing rows of sharp teeth. Its face was mostly hidden, pointed upwards, but there, sticking out from the left side, was a small rubber-wrapped handle.

"NOW!"

Sun commanded the clones forward – who threw themselves directly into the monster's mouth with no regard for their own lives. Meanwhile, Weiss and Winter unleashed twin elemental attacks of pure ice and dust that lanced upwards, freezing atop the creature's skull and crackling up towards the metal knife lodged in its eye socket.

"Left!" Sun yelled to the driver. "Go left!"

The boat swerved, both dodging the Grimm's attack as it latched down on them, but also causing it to drift by the boat itself – the left side of its body on full display. The knife handle in front of them, almost close enough to touch.

Sun wasted no time.

Launching himself off the boat, he bunched his knees and landed flat on the Grimm's skull. Gravity took hold, but before it could he _stamped_ down with one bare foot, driving the knife down _through_ its eye socket, through its already ruined eye, and into the creature's brain.

The Grimm reared up and twisted to the side, half-launching itself out the water, half-writhing in pain and shock.

Sun was only just able to kick off it – and only able to get back onto the boat because one of Weiss' glyphs caught and propelled him towards it. He landed rough and stumbled on his aching foot, supported by Winter's arms.

"That," she said, "Was reckless."

"Yeah. Never said I was a clever guy… Is it…?"

"If not dead, it is dealt with for now," Winter said, looking back. The huge shape was twisting just under the surface, its body breaking through the waves at odd moments. Whether it was dying or just trying to get the weapon loose, it wasn't chasing them anymore.

For now, that was a victory.

"How did you know…?" Sun asked, panting. "How did you know to save us?"

"Azure did in fact reach the shore," Weiss said. "He shouted for them to raise the alarm, then took his jet ski back out to rescue you. Winter and I requisitioned a boat as quickly as we could. If not for Azure, we wouldn't have known until it was too late.

/-/

A crowd awaited them on the beach as the boat came back in, slamming into the sand and riding several metres up it. Paramedics and first aid staff of the resort, along with armed guards and a veritable horde of curious guests that milled on the outskirts, desperate to get a glimpse of what was going on.

Between them, Sun and Weiss carried Azure out of the boat and into the waiting hands of the paramedics. Azure was lowered onto a sheet placed down on the sand and a man and woman in white started fussing over his leg, inspecting the wound.

"Azure! Azure, my baby!" Millennia wailed, pushing through the crowd. The large woman collapsed on her knees by the boy, hands hovering nearby as though afraid to touch him and make his injury worse. "Oh my goodness, Azure!"

"I-It's okay, mom." Azure winced but managed a wry smile. "I'm alive."

"The wound looks worse than it is," one of the paramedics said. "He'll need to stay off it for several weeks, perhaps even use a crutch of wheelchair, but apart from some scarring, I don't think there will be any extreme damage. You'll be weak right now, son. Try not to exert yourself."

"Is he low on blood?" Sun asked. "Does he need a transfusion?"

"If so, we have blood stores here at the resort. Don't worry."

Millennia's head snapped up. "You!" she hissed, like a coiling snake. The large woman pushed herself to her feet and stabbed a hand out towards Sun. "This is your fault! You tried to kill my baby boy!"

Sun recoiled.

"What?" Weiss snapped, just as angrily. "Unless you're blind, Sun _saved_ him!"

"Azure wasn't supposed to be out there! He was supposed to be getting ready for the dance! Your _monster_ of an ex lured him out there and tried to kill him!"

"N-No," Sun stammered. "There was a Grimm!"

"And you're a huntsman!" Millennia screamed. "You could have killed it if you wanted. Guards, guards arrest him! He was so jealous of my boy, he lured him out onto the ocean and tried to murder him! Guards!"

Several armed men moved forward. They didn't look for evidence, only their weapons.

Both Winter and Weiss closed ranks before Sun, weapons drawn.

"I didn't…" Sun said, eyes wide. "N-No, I'd never have. He's my friend."

"Lies! Lies! You hated him from the start. For being better than you, for being better for Weiss, for bein-"

"ENOUGH!"

It was Azure who roared out, shocking everyone into silence. His face was pale from shock, but his eyes were clenched shut and his body shook with barely concealed anger.

Millennia turned. "Azure…?"

"Enough, mother!" he hissed, quieter, and yet with no less intensity. "Sun did not try to kill me. He saved my life."

"But-"

"There is no but! _I_ was the one to suggest we go out there. _I_ was the one who chose to investigate the netting. _I_ was the one who chose to stay and help him instead of fleeing when Sun bought me the chance."

"You just think that, sweetie," Millennia whispered. "He tricked you. He was forever jealous of you and Weiss."

"Jealous? Sun!?" Azure laughed. "No. If anyone was jealous, it was me. Jealous of his freedom, of his determination. Jealous because I have _none_ of those things." He winced, and then gritted his teeth at some invisible pain. "I'm nothing more than a prize dog to be dressed up and paraded around."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it? You're already trying to set me up with some girl I'd never met before. Pushing the issue so much you've broken up her relationship with my best friend." Azure shook his head angrily. "Did you ever ask if I wanted that? Did you ever ask what I wanted?"

"But the marriage-"

"There _is_ no marriage!" Azure yelled. "There won't _be_ one. I refuse! I categorically refuse!"

Millennia looked like she'd been slapped. "Is this because of _him_?" she sneered, looking to Sun again. "Haven't you caused enough damage here!?"

"I-" Sun tried to answer.

"NO!" Azure rasped. "It's not him. It's me! It's you! It's everything else but him!"

"Millennia." Martyn Metelia said, stepping from the crowd with Jacques Schnee beside him. Mr Schnee looked furious. "I think you should listen to our son. He's not going to allow the paramedics to take him away like this, and your arguing is only risking his safety."

Azure nodded gratefully at his father, or as best he could. "It's not about Sun," he said, softer. "It's about Weiss. And me. And what I want from a marriage. I don't want some loveless union for money, power or some stupid deal over the resort. I want someone I can fall in love with, and who will love me back."

"You can fall in love with her," Millennia said. "You're still young."

"Not when she doesn't love me, I can't. All she'd ever remember me as is someone who stepped in to take away her happiness. It doesn't matter how hard we tried, that would always stand between us. Besides, she wants to be a huntress. I want to stay here and protect the cove's ecology. It would never work."

"Allowances can be made-"

"On who, mother? Who has to give something up? And why? Right now, we're both compromising and sacrificing things for a marriage neither of us even wants." He sighed and slumped back. It looked like he wanted to rest but refused to as long as there were words left. His face was pale. "No. I'm sick of pretending nothing is happening and going with the flow. Of letting things happen to me without my control. Mr Schnee," he said, looking up to the stern man. "Regretfully, I have no interest in marrying your daughter."

"Azure!" Millennia gasped. "You're not in your right mind. The blood loss. The shock-"

"I've wanted to end this stupid thing since the day it started. I refuse. Force the issue and I shall disown myself from the family. I'll seek legal representation."

Millennia looked horrified.

Martyn sighed. "This is the decision you make?"

"It is. It's the only one I can make."

"Then there is little we can do."

"Martyn!"

"Azure has spoken, Millennia. Jacques, you heard him."

"I did." Jacques' eyes were locked onto Weiss', conveying some silent message, some silent judgement. Demanding to know whether this was her doing, and whether she should be punished for it.

Weiss held her ground, head held high.

"The marriage was never a binding part of our agreement," he eventually said.

"No, but it was a means of ensuring our son's future. If we sell the resort, his future is left open…"

"Perhaps," Weiss said, interjecting, "Azure could remain as CEO of the resort. He knows its running, its staff and the peculiarities that we do not. It would save you having to find someone else suited to the task, father."

Again, he glared at her, wondering if this had been her plan all along.

Martyn Metelia was quick to chime in. "We would support this proposal."

Trapped.

Jacques Schnee was trapped.

Angry, belligerent and more than willing to show it, he was still a businessman. He knew when it was time to step away from the negotiating table, especially if the deal looked like it was becoming tenuous. "Very well. I shall guarantee him five years, and more based on the fiscal performance of the resort." Turning, he walked away. "I will meet with you tomorrow to finalise details."

"Thank you." Martyn moved over to Millennia and pulled her up by her arm. She continued to glare at Sun, her thoughts on the matter clear. In an effort to avoid an argument and put Azure at further risk, Martyn led his wife away. "Get well soon, son," he said to Azure. "We will be sure to visit you as soon as you are stable."

"The netting…" Azure gritted.

"I shall see it replaced and checked across the grid. No one shall be allowed in the water until it is." The latter was said loudly, to all those watching. After seeing Azure's wounds, few would dare risk the water, even if the Grimm responsible lay dead.

With Millennia removed, the paramedics brought Azure up onto a stretcher.

Sun and Weiss quickly appeared his side.

"Azure, I'm so sorry," Sun whispered.

"Don't be." Azure tried to laugh but winced and cut off. "You told me to run for it. You bought me the time to escape."

"You came back…"

"Wasn't going to leave you. Wasn't going to explain that to Weiss. Wouldn't… ah, that hurts… wouldn't be able to look myself in the mirror again." He fell back. "Sorry for being an idiot. Y-You're the huntsman."

"Dude, you were a hero," Sun said. "You saved my life."

"Yeah?" Azure raised a hand weakly. "Friends?"

Sun clasped it. "We were already friends, you idiot. Saving my life doesn't change that."

He had to let go as Azure was swept away. Sun stood on the beach and watched him go.

Winter placed a hand on his shoulder. "You handled that as well as you could."

"Yeah." Sun wiped his eyes. "Thanks for saving us, you two. If you hadn't come…"

"We did come," Weiss said. "So, let's not think of what might have happened in a world where we weren't fast enough. You're both alive. That is what counts."

"Indeed," Winter said, "If not you, someone else would have discovered that Grimm, and likely with a far more tragic outcome. Though it may not feel like it, this was the best result. Although, I am sure father will not feel the same way."

"No. He won't." Weiss' eyes closed.

Sun winced. "Sorry…"

"It's not your fault. I'm pleased you saved Azure and I am… relieved that I will not have to carry on this charade with Azure." Weiss sighed and looked down at her fancy dress. "I guess this dance is over and done with."

"I think this holiday will be over and done with," Winter said. "I expect father will want the two of you gone as soon as possible lest you… influence the Metelia family any further. Whatever your friend's good will, it's clear his mother does not share it."

"She refused to believe Sun didn't have a hand in this. Even now…"

"It's normal," Sun said.

Weiss scowled. "That doesn't make it right!"

"No, but it doesn't make it your problem to fix either. Leave it, Weiss. Don't get upset over what some stupid old woman thinks. Azure is alive. That's what matters." Sun cracked his shoulder. "And I need to practice fighting in water. I was helpless…"

"Few are at their home in the ocean," Winter said. "Still, additional training is not a bad thought." Stepping away from them, Winter wrung some salt water out of her white coat, dripping it onto the sand. "I shall arrange transport to take you both back to Beacon tomorrow. That should give you a final chance to have some words with Azure before you leave. I know you'd like to stay to see him well, but I think it would be best for everyone if you left."

"Yeah…"

"I understand, Winter." Weiss nodded. "I shall leave it to you."

No words passed between them that night, despite that both wanted to say something. Anything. Sun and Weiss built the wall of pillows between them and laid down on either side, staring up at the ceiling. The marriage, the holiday, the charade, the pretence. Everything was over. On the morrow, it would be a return to Beacon and the life they'd had before.

Neither of them said a word.

/-/

When the day dawned, it was to a message from Weiss that their flight would be in less than four hours. Never had Weiss felt such relief and emptiness at the same time. She told the news to Sun, who said that it was good, but in a way that lacked enthusiasm.

Weiss felt the same, even if she wasn't sure why.

Did she like it here? No, not really. Her father was a constant miasma around her and the Metelia family were little better. Millennia would glare at her _and_ Sun whenever she saw them, and Weiss wanted nothing more than to escape them and get back to her team.

But it somehow felt like something was missing. Unfinished.

When Sun suggested they visit Azure, she agreed. Perhaps that was it.

Sun was let in first to talk with Azure, more a requirement to get him out the way before Millennia could come by and freak out at the very sight of him. Weiss wasn't sure Azure would want to speak with her at all, but when Sun came back out with a tired smile, he held the door open for her.

"He wants to talk to you."

Surprised, Weiss entered. The room was in the hospital ward set aside in the resort. As wealthy and well-equipped as the rest of it, each patient got their own room in the greatest luxury money could afford. Azure lay on a bed in a pale blue-green robe. The window beside him was open and he had the palm of his hand extended outside, bird seed collected in it.

A brightly coloured bird stood on his fingers, nibbling at the seeds. On hearing the door close, it flew away, and Azure turned back to her. Despite his injury, he was smiling.

"Blue-tailed cove finch," he explained. "They're native across Mistral, but for some reason the blue-tailed variant only exists here. They nest in the mountains. They don't normally like people, but they're hungry little things and will investigate if you stay still and offer food."

"I see." Weiss hovered nearby, unsure what to say or do. "You wanted to see me?"

"Sure. It might be my last chance." He grinned. "Unless I can come and watch you two at the festival."

"Please do! It would be a pleasure to perform for you."

"You can drop the manners, Weiss. I'd like to think we're friends…"

"My-" Weiss closed her eyes and sighed. "Sorry. It's an old habit."

"I know. I do it, too." He laid back onto the cushions piled up under his head. There was a book on his lap, opened on a certain page but laid face-down. A book on wildlife. "I think I did it all my life until now, doing whatever my parents expected of me, trying to make them proud of me. I thought it was all that mattered, that it would somehow make me happier if they were happy."

Azure sighed.

"I was wrong. The thing is… I'm not even sure it's their fault on what they did. I never told them what I wanted. I never acted like I wanted anything. If you spend your whole life trying to please others, they're not going to realise. They're going to think you _like_ doing that kind of stuff." He shook his head. "I was so busy trying to make them proud of me that I never realised I wasn't proud of myself."

Weiss couldn't meet his eyes. "And you are now?"

"I think I am." Azure laughed weakly, and then a little louder. An honest laugh. "It's stupid, right? All I did was shout at my mom and tell her I didn't want us to be married, and suddenly, I feel like I'm on top of the world. I feel so free, so powerful, so me."

"Mother is probably angry," he admitted. "I'll have to calm her down. Lashing out at you and Sun was ridiculous, but it must seem like you changed me."

"Did we?"

"No. I was always like this. I just… I never felt brave enough to show it. Never felt like I could afford to be myself when I was so busy trying to meet their expectations. To mother, it must seem like I've done a complete one-eighty. I think father understands. He must have noticed, but even he never did anything. Perhaps I fooled them as much as I did myself."

"Then I am pleased you've found some measure of happiness," she said. "I… I don't think we could have worked out."

Azure grinned wryly. "You think? I didn't want to come between you and Sun."

"That…" Weiss winced. "You deserve to know the truth, Azure. Sun and I… we were never… how do I say this?"

"You were never together?" he said. "You were faking it to throw a wrench in the plans and escape having to marry me?"

Weiss' mouth fell open.

"I'm not an idiot, Weiss. We were told you were single. We did our own research. When you suddenly came with a boyfriend, I figured out what was going on. Everyone did. You looked really awkward together."

Her skin turned a light pink. They really thought they'd fooled everyone… "Then why did you say you didn't want to come between us?"

"Because you _do_ have feelings for him, Weiss. It's really obvious…"

It was like a slap to her face. "I don't."

"You do." Azure looked out the window. "I saw the little signs and how relaxed you were around one another, even when you started to get closer. I'll admit, I was jealous. Not jealous in that I wanted you, or to take Sun's place, but jealous in that I wanted to feel that as well. To be able to grow close to a girl I met and feel the same thing. See her look at me like you look at Sun."

She didn't… That was… Weiss' eyes closed, and she bit her lip.

"Sun and I are not together and never will be."

"Not if your father has his way," Azure agreed. "Of course, if he had his way – and if my mother had hers – the two of us would be preparing for our marriage even now. The only reason we're not is because I decided I wanted to be free."

"I cannot do the same. I'm not an only child…"

"I was prepared to leave my family name and the resort to get my freedom, Weiss."

"It's not… My situation is more complicated. It's not so simple." She had her dream, her ambition, and Sun just wasn't compatible with that. Not because he was a bad person, not because he was cruel or unfair or didn't want her to succeed.

All because her father wouldn't let her.

Because Sun was a faunus.

"You make your situation complicated," Azure said slowly. "I won't tell you how to live your life, Weiss, but whatever happens – however this ends – it is _you_ who will make the decision. Not Sun. Not Winter. Not me, and not your father."

Weiss stared at the floor.

"I just wanted to talk with you to say that," Azure said. "And to say goodbye. I won't lie and say it was easy, but I'm glad to have met you both. If I didn't, even if it wasn't you, I'd have been forced into some other union I wasn't happy with."

"I'm pleased to have met you too, Azure." For once, Weiss meant it. "I wish you a speedy recovery."

"Weiss!" he called when she reached the door.

She paused but did not look back.

"Decide what _you_ want in life and then pursue it to the best of your ability. Don't let other people dictate what makes you happy."

"Thank you for the wise words, Azure."

Stepping out, Weiss found herself in the lobby with Sun. He was curious, but maintaining a polite distance, both to give them some privacy and so as not to pressure her. The distance between them had felt like that ever since their last kiss.

Perhaps that was for the best.

"Let's go home, Sun."

/-/

The flight was without incident.

They collected their luggage with no problems.

The Bullhead trip back to Beacon went by smoothly and quickly.

Her team was waiting for her.

"Weiss!" Ruby hit her like a rocket. "How did it go? Are you okay? Why are you back early?"

"It went…" Weiss considered her answer. "Well. It went well. I'm back early because we finished everything ahead of schedule, and I'll tell you the full story once we've all had a chance to sit down. Suffice to say, I'm not getting married any time soon."

"Yeah!"

"Nice," Yang echoed, wrapping an arm around her. "We got Sun to thank for that one?"

"In a manner of speaking…"

Sun grinned weakly.

"How did he do?" Blake asked curiously. Her eyes were on the boy.

Weiss fought down the brief flash of some ugly emotion. How had Sun done? Given all that happened, and all the things they'd been through? Weiss closed her eyes and answered honestly.

"He performed admirably. Far better than I had ever imagined he might, and with more respect and decorum than any would have demanded. It is no exaggeration to say that I am both relieved and grateful that he chose to accompany me."

Sun's eyes softened a little. "No problem, Weiss. What are friends for?"

"Really?" Blake sounded surprised but looked at Sun in a new light. "That's wonderful news. I'll honour my end of the deal. See you this Saturday?"

Sun nodded. "Looking forward to it, Blake."

"Let's get to it, then!" Ruby cheered. "I want to hear all the things you got up to." Ruby tugged on her arm, but Weiss pried her hand off.

"Can you… Maybe you can get the room ready and fetch me a drink? I think I'd like to have a few last words with Sun, if I may."

"Heh? But you just flew back from Mistral with him…"

Weiss winced.

Yang came to her rescue. "Come on, sis. Let Weiss be polite. Sun bent backwards helping her out."

Blake agreed, the three of them leaving once they had a promise that she would catch up quickly. Left alone in the hallway, Sun and Weiss stared at one another.

"So…" Sun began. "I guess this is it."

"Yes. I suppose so." Weiss swallowed and looked away. "You were marvellous, Sun. I… really meant what I said. I'm glad I got to spend this week with you."

"Yeah. I feel the same. Still up for that sparring?"

"Yes. Of course."

Sun laughed.

Weiss smiled.

The silence crept back in.

In it, Weiss remembered that first time on the balcony when she'd given in to temptation. When his hands were hot upon her, and she had wanted nothing more than to sink into them. Here, in Beacon, that felt so long ago. There was her team, Blake, the dance and the promise that Blake would be the one to take Sun to it.

 _Say something,_ her mind whispered. _Say something. Anything._

Thank him. Praise him. Tell him how much he meant to her. Show him how much he meant. Hold him. Run her fingers through his hair. Kiss him. Have him. Tell Blake what happened. Take a risk.

Do something.

Anything.

"I…" Weiss opened her mouth. "I…" Her stomach sank. "I guess I should go and catch up with them."

Sun smiled. A sad, resigned, smile. "Yeah. And I should catch up with mine, too."

"I will see you around, then. At the dance." With Blake. "And after…"

As students. Associates. Friends. Nothing more. Life would return to normal. Simple, predictable normality. A life where she was nothing more than a member of Team RWBY, and he was just the transfer student. They'd never be anything more than that, and likely wouldn't have a chance to be as close as they had been. Even talking in private would be difficult with Neptune and Blake around, let alone Ruby and Yang. They'd probably never have a moment together again. Ruby would want to come watch them spar. Sun's team would come as well.

This, Weiss knew, was her last chance.

Which was why it hurt so much that she was a coward.

"Thank you, Sun. It was... fun."

"Yeah." Sun looked like he wanted to say more but wouldn't. Couldn't. "I'll see you around, Weiss."

He turned but didn't leave. Not at first. He was waiting for her to call him back.

"Yeah." Weiss turned as well, biting down on her lip. "See you around, Sun."

With her eyes clenched shut, Weiss walked away.

* * *

 **Only one chapter after this remains.**

 **Azure was the first to snap, in what I imagine won't surprise a lot of people. I didn't want a long fight sequence with the Grimm like I'd normally have in my other stories. Those are actions fics whereas this is a romance. The Grimm was just a means to an end.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 19** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	13. Chapter 13

**Well, I had my dentist appointment yesterday. Had a tooth removed and need to go in for another check later. I swear, yesterday after it I was like "Welp, they're getting nothing tomorrow. This hurts so much I'd strangle a toddler", but today – after painkillers – I feel better than I expected.**

 **Still painful, but a dull throbbing pain.**

 **I think I can work with this**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Terakali

 **Chapter 13**

* * *

"So," Yang said, finally cornering Weiss alone. "Want to tell me what happened?"

Weiss busied herself collecting her dress and laying out her shoes. The dance was in only a few hours and she intended to be on time. "I don't think that I do."

"Blake is in the shower and Ruby is off talking with Jaune. No one to hear us."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"It's just that the last I heard from you, you were making out with Sun. Then you come back, nothing has changed, and you've pushed Blake into taking him to the dance."

"As was decided before he and I even left. He would help me by pretending to be my boyfriend and Blake would go to the dance with him." Weiss slapped her shoes down on the bed. "That was the deal, and that's what is going to happen."

"Blake will give him more than just the dance if I'm reading things right. They might even start dating."

Weiss took a deep breath and let it go. "Good."

"Good?"

"Yes. Sun deserves a chance with her. He was a perfect gentleman and will make her happy. They both deserve the chance to be happy."

Yang smiled sadly. "So do you, Weiss."

"I… I am happy."

"If you say so." Yang came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her, drawing Weiss back into a sudden and sisterly hug.

"W-What are you doing?" Weiss snapped, fighting back sudden tears. "I said I'm happy. I don't need this." She struggled to break free. "Release me at once."

"I just wanted a hug," Yang said, lying so blatantly. "Not to help you or anything. Just because _I_ feel bad. Can't you help your teammate for a moment?"

Sniffing, Weiss nodded, pretending that she believed this was for Yang's benefit and not her own. Weiss' head fell, resting against Yang's arm and taking some small comfort there. "I-I suppose that I can put up with it. F-For your sake…"

Yang squeezed her tighter. "Thanks Weiss."

If Yang noticed how Weiss slumped in her arms and shook silently, she made no mention of it.

When Blake left the shower in her purple dress, Weiss had broken free and wiped her face dry, hiding it in preparing her own outfit, unable to look at Blake. Unable to look at anything. It wasn't too late to pretend she was sick and skip the whole thing. Yang would lie for her, she knew. Yang would make excuses. Tell people she hadn't been feeling it.

No one would ever have to know.

A knock at the door saw Blake's date arriving for the evening.

"Hey Blake." Sun's voice, so soft and familiar. "You look amazing."

"You're not so bad yourself," Blake said, and Weiss could _hear_ the honesty there. Blake _liked_ what she saw. "Are you ready to go or would you like to talk to-?"

Weiss pushed into the bathroom before either of them could finish that statement. She slammed the door shut behind her, dragged the shower door open and twisted the knob so that water _poured_ out loudly, drowning off any sound outside and making it impossible for anyone to try and talk to her.

Once that was done, Weiss walked up to the mirror, pushed her forehead against it and counted slowly to one hundred. It helped to calm her. Helped to slow her racing heart and push that nauseating feeling away.

Blake had Sun's interest long before she did. The whole thing had been to help Sun get with Blake. There was no room for jealousy now, no room for her. Even if there had been, it couldn't work. Father would never approve, and her life was not her own to live.

 _It could be,_ she thought, thinking of Azure. And of Winter. Both had won their freedom in a sense, and hers would not even be hard to achieve. All she had to do was reach out and take it and she would be able to make her own decisions, live her life and do whatever she wanted.

All she'd need to give up would be the SDC and her position within it.

Stepping into the shower, Weiss did her best to forget about everything.

/-/

Yang was still waiting for her outside.

"Aren't you supposed to be working at the entrance?"

"Velvet and Coco got back from their mission and offered to take over."

"You can't just shirk your responsibilities."

"Actually, I can. No skin off my nose." Yang grinned, and Weiss was reminded of Azure in a way. Both were content to do what they liked doing and prepared to fight for it. "Sun and Blake are gone, you know. You can come out."

Stepping out the bathroom in her white gown, Weiss said, "I was not hiding from them."

"Sure."

"I wasn't!"

"I believe you," Yang said, voice making it clear she didn't. "Sun looked good, though. Damn good. White suit and blue shirt combo. I half-expected him to come with his top open like usual, not that it's a bad thing but a guy has to know when to dress formal too, right?"

"Of course. It must be the suit I bought him. There was a formal dance," she explained when Yang looked confused.

"Oh right. I remember. So, you already got to see him in it."

"No. I didn't."

"Hmm. He looked good, Weiss. Real good."

Weiss slumped, sitting on the bed. "Why are you doing this, Yang?"

"See, that's the question I want to ask you," Yang said, sitting beside her. "Why are _you_ doing this? Why are you letting Blake and Sun go together when it's obvious you're carrying a torch for him? And him for you. You might not have seen it, scurrying into the bathroom like your ass was on fire, but Sun kept looking past Blake to try and get a look at you." Yang grinned. "Probably wanted to see how you looked in your dress."

"He would have seen me half-dressed…"

"Not sure he'd complain about that either."

"Idiot." Weiss huffed and stared at the floor. "And carrying a torch, really? I spent one week with him. Not even that. I've hardly fallen in love."

"Didn't say you had. Torches can go out, be relit or even thrown away. You and Sun are hardly the be all and end all. If you don't go out with him, maybe you'll find someone better. Maybe he will." Yang looked to the door. "Maybe it'll be Blake. She could do worse."

"She could."

"But that doesn't change the fact you and Sun both like one another. It's obvious to me."

"Only because I told you we'd kissed," Weiss hissed at her teammate.

"Okay, fair enough." Yang laughed. "I'd probably never have guessed without that hint, but knowing that you did make out, I can see the signs. I'm just wondering why you're _both_ giving up on something that could make you happy. It doesn't make sense to me."

"He's a transfer student. He'll be going back to Mistral."

"I'm not an idiot, Weiss. You were totally cool flirting with Neptune. Try again."

"It wouldn't work. We're too different."

"Okay, see, that one's a little better. Let me pose a question right back, though. What does that matter?"

"What? W-Well, it's destined for heartbreak."

"Like there's no way the two of you could make it work?"

"Well, maybe…" Weiss admitted.

"There you go. If you try, there's a small chance it could work out. If you don't? Well, there's no chance." Yang poked her cheek and grinned when Weiss swatted the offending finger away. "But I think you're holding out on me. If there's one thing I know about you, it's that you're no coward."

"You don't know that."

"I do. And quit with the self-pity; it doesn't suit you. Our odds in the Vytal Festival are low as mud compared to Pyrrha and the more experienced teams, yet you and Ruby are both determined we're gonna win it. I doubt you being `oh so different` would scare you off something you wanted. There's something more. Hit me with it."

"I'd like to hit you in general…"

"Yeah, you and most guys in Beacon. Come on, Weiss. You don't go from making out romantically with some guy on a beachside holiday to pushing him onto your best friend in a matter of days. Not without something else happening. If he did something and you were turned off, that makes sense, but-"

"No," Weiss said quickly, defensively. "Sun did nothing. He was… He was wonderful."

"Huh." Yang looked at her closely. "You really mean that. So… what happened?"

"You're really not going to give this up, are you?"

"When you're looking so down? No. Never."

Weiss sighed. Yang wanted to help of course, it was just like her pushy teammate to be like this. In a way, she should have been pleased Yang cared enough to do this at all – and she was. She just wished it could have come at a time when everything made a little more sense. Preferably when the Vytal Festival was over, and Sun was back in Mistral. Out of sight, out of mind.

Gone. Gone forever. Her stomach fell.

"It's my father," Weiss blurted out.

In a deluge it came, all the things that had happened on the holiday spilling out of her mouth like an avalanche. From the first meeting with Azure to the first kiss with Sun, that moment when they'd both been covered in salt water and glistening in the moonlight. His warmth, his touch, the little laughs they'd had laying on either side of a wall of pillows.

Her feelings, her resistance, Sun's pain. The racism. The arguments. Her father's words. His warnings. Her giving in and promising to date Azure, and the ultimate battle that had been won not by her or Sun, but by Azure finally standing up for himself.

Her team had received an edited version of that the night before, but Yang got the full and unbridled truth.

"That…" Yang sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay. Good on that Azure guy for standing up for himself, but _fucking hell_ , Weiss, couldn't you have learned a thing or two from him? Fight for what _you_ want! Not what your stupid dad wants."

"It's not as easy as that."

"To hell it isn't! Just do what makes you happy."

"And what if being a part of the SDC makes me happy?" Weiss snapped. "What if you had a chance to be happy but it meant leaving Ruby to be unhappy? Stop acting like everything is so cut and dry when it isn't. Yes, I like Sun. Yes, I'd love to have a chance to date him and explore whether we could work. Yes, I've never felt about a person like I have him."

It wasn't love, she wasn't so foolish as to say that, but it could be. It could become that, she felt.

"But it's not as easy as saying I should reach out and take it. Actions have consequences. Azure got to make his because he didn't care about those consequences. He didn't care about upsetting his family or losing out on his inheritance because he weighed what he stood to gain against it and decided that he wanted that more."

"And you don't want Sun more than you want to run the SDC?" Yang asked, the _disdain_ clear in her voice.

"I… I don't know." It was horrible when said like that; that she would consider a company of more importance than Sun. Or any person. How could she profess to have any respect in him if she couldn't decide like this? "That's why he's better with Blake. She isn't going to have hang ups over whether to pick him or her legacy."

"Oh sure, like the White Fang thing isn't even an issue. Blake is _totally_ over that. As for you, are you sure the SDC is what you want, or is it just what other people want _of_ you?"

Weiss stared suspiciously at Yang. "Who told you that?"

Yang was surprised. "Told me what?"

"You didn't…?" Weiss sighed and looked away. "Sorry. My sister… It's just that your words echoed hers. I thought for a moment… Never mind…"

"That your sister coached me?" Yang laughed. "Sounds like something I'd do in her situation, but no, I've never met her. I'm just saying what I think is true. And maybe if we're both sayin' it, you should accept that there's some truth in it."

Weiss grimaced.

"The SDC isn't _yours_ ," Yang went on. "Not properly. Sure, it belongs to your family and your dad currently runs it, but do you really want to live your life for something you didn't even have a hand creating? What are you going to get out of that?"

"The chance to make a difference."

"And you can't do that in any other way? Is this about the faunus?" Yang sighed. "Sure, if you take over the SDC, you can help a lot of them – but that's, what, when your dad retires? If he ever does. You think he's going to hand it over within the next ten years and then let you have _complete control_ over it? I don't even know the guy but that sounds unlikely."

It did. It really did. Father would not retire until he absolutely had to, and even then would likely retain some control over the company. Either in terms of shares, influence or just direct ownership. She could be made a figurehead if he wanted her to.

And, of course, if she resisted then he could disown her.

"So, assuming you stay, he's, what, forty? Let's say forty. So, if we assume he lives for another forty years – and it could be longer with how rich he is – then that means you'll be living your life as he dictates it until you're fifty-seven."

Weiss struggled to breathe.

"Yeah. I'd ask you what you think about that but your face kinda says it all…"

"That's… it…" Weiss swallowed. She'd never considered it quite that way before, but Yang… she wasn't wrong. Father was forty-five, but that made little difference. Unless an accident took him out of the picture, he would have control over her until she was fifty at least.

He'd retain control of the SDC, too.

She might be able to make some small changes of course but rock the boat too much and he would join forces with the Board of Directors to oust her. Investors, hedge funds and financial experts all, they only cared about profit, and giving equal rights to their workers, and higher pay, certainly wasn't going to bring the money in.

They would never allow it.

For the first time in her life, Weiss felt lost. Adrift in an ocean of uncertainty.

"I'm not tryin' to break your dreams here, Weiss, but you've told us how your old man is. If he won't even let you date a guy make-believe on a one week holiday in the middle of nowhere, why do you think he's going to let you do any of the things you've ever planned in your life?"

"I… But… I…"

"You'll marry who he wants you to marry. Have as many children as he wants you to have. Make the decisions he wants you to make and say what he wants you to say. And every time you try to argue, he's going to pull out the same card he did here. And why not? If it works, what reason does he have to change anything?"

Gods, she'd been a fool. Wiess scrunched her face up and fought back the _rage_ that coursed through her. Winter had tried so hard to warn her, but it had all been ignored, and father, damn him, had sunk his claws deep into her.

Azure was free because he didn't fear the consequences, but she did. She feared what her father could do to her, and in admitting it she had given him the ability to control her life forevermore. Before, she'd always convinced herself it would be temporary. Just until she was of age. Just until she graduated Beacon. Just until she could move out and be her own woman.

How stupid had she been? How gullible?

He wouldn't stop. He would never stop.

"B-But my dream…"

"Was it really ever _your_ dream?" Yang asked.

"O-Of course! I want to help redeem my family name and the family company."

"You sure that's a dream? Hear me out," Yang said. "I want to look after Ruby and dad forever, but that doesn't mean it's my dream. A dream shouldn't be to look after something that belongs to someone else. That's more of an obligation. Or, well, not an obligation." She laughed. "I don't see Ruby that way. More like… well, I'll always look after Ruby, but I'm not going to dedicate my life to it. I want to have a family of my own one day."

"Your dream is to be a brood mare?" Weiss asked caustically.

"My dream is to be surrounded by family who love me and who I love in turn. And to _never_ disappear on them."

Weiss grimaced and dropped her head. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. You're angry. I can take it. Pont is, your dream should be something that fulfils you. Helping the faunus is all well and good, but it's not going to keep you warm on lonely nights. Help them but do that on the side. Hell, you don't even need the SDC for that. You're a famous singer and a kickass huntress. Open up a charity. Release albums. That'll make a difference a lot sooner than waiting for your old man to croak will."

A charity?

Why had she never considered that?

 _Because I always saw my singing as something father used. I wanted to sing and enjoyed it, but he turned it into a PR stunt for himself and the SDC._ Like so many things before her, it had lost its lustre because he used and tarnished it.

But if she were to start again, and commit it to something she truly wanted?

That sounded exciting.

Of course, her father would try and intervene. Try and decide where the money would go, who she would sing for and where – how much she would charge and what kind of songs she could release. Any decision she ever made would be controlled by him.

Unless she broke free.

"I… I'll lose everything. I'll lose my position as heiress…"

"Weiss." Yang wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Did you ever _have_ that position?"

She froze.

"I don't want to be the bitch, but he disowned your sister for becoming a solider and then you run off to be a huntress. Meanwhile, he has his son who you've already said is more like him than you. Who do you really think is going to be made heir to the SDC in the end?" Yang smiled sadly. "Do you really think it's ever going to be you?"

Her heart broke.

Whitley… He… She wanted to say he was too young, but that was pointless. Father wasn't going to retire until he was sixty at the earliest, and in fifteen years Whitley would be thirty. Age simply didn't play a factor at that point and their father would decide who to give ultimate control to.

It was never going to be her.

How had she been so _stupid_ as to think otherwise?

A lonely tear ran down her cheek.

"Sorry," Yang said. "I feel like I'm really mucking up the `trying to make you happy` thing."

"No. It… I probably needed to have this pointed out." Weiss wiped a tear away and laughed awkwardly. "You've saved me a decade or more under his thumb. I'm not sure why I never realised it, but the only reason he didn't disown me like he did Winter is because I'm still of value. My singing is good for PR, as is being a huntress, and as a potential heir I can serve as a means to threaten Whitley into compliance as well."

Just as father used Whitley against her whenever she acted up, he was probably using her against her brother. Little wonder they'd all come to mistrust one another. Jacques was putting them in constant competition to keep any of them from getting too strong.

"So, you going to go sweeping in after Sun?"

"No."

Yang sighed.

"You were right about my father, and about my future. I need to find my own path. One he can't influence. But that doesn't change that Sun and Blake are going to the dance together, and that they're better for one another." Standing, Weiss dusted herself down. "I'll always remember him fondly, and the times we had together, but I think it's for the best that we both move on."

Standing before Yang, Weiss spread her arms.

"How do I look?"

"Lonely. Broken. Sad."

"I meant aesthetically…"

Yang smiled sadly. "Perfect."

/-/

The dancers flowed below like an ocean of brightly-lit colours. Reds, whites, blues and purples interposed with the more common black and grey of the boys. The occasional white suit, any of which could have been Sun if she'd dared to look.

Neptune had made the offer to come with her. Not an invitation, but an offer. That alone told her he knew of what had happened while she was gone. Sun must have told him. It seemed impossible he wouldn't have been honest with his team, and Neptune obviously held no ill-will for it. His offer, chivalrous as it was, smacked of pity. Or perhaps sympathy.

Either way, Weiss rejected it. He should find his own enjoyment.

Yang and Ruby were down there making their own. Yang had danced with Jaune, all gangly limbs and uncertainty, before pushing him at Ruby and watching the two go at it. No romance there, no barely-concealed feelings, just genuine happiness as the two dorks made fools of themselves together and loved every moment of it. At least until Pyrrha came and stole a dance from her not-so-secret crush. Ren and Nora cut their own path through the crowd, one more exuberant about it than the other.

She stayed above it all. Aloof. Sipping the last of her drink, Weiss finally let her eyes fall upon Sun and Blake.

Yang had been right.

He looked handsome tonight.

His cream suit fit him well, perfectly. One sold by a racist but now used on a date between two faunus. It was fitting in a sense. Blake's purple and black gown stood out against it, but she looked happy, smiling as Sun whirled her around and laughing at something he said. Sun, meanwhile, had a hand on the small of her back and the other on hers, never straying further.

He was a gentleman like that, though Weiss knew from experience that he could become heated and passionate in an instant. A raging inferno that threatened to swallow you whole.

That could have been her down there. It could have been the two of them.

Perhaps, in a different life, it would have been.

Blake would look after him though, if she pulled her head out of her ass and stopped focusing everything on the White Fang and the past. If not… well, Sun would find someone else. He was almost too good not to. He would make someone happy. Someone who deserved and was willing to grasp that happiness – and him – with both hands.

Someone who wouldn't consider her own ambitions, motives and reasons more important than him and his happiness. Someone who would really care for him.

Slowly, with a fond smile, Weiss turned and walked away.

/-/

He found her standing outside looking up at the shattered moon. She had a melancholy about her, a certain sense of defeat that didn't quite fit the Weiss he'd come to know. Even so, he strode up to stand beside her, arms crossed and watching the moon with her.

"You're supposed to be inside," she said, sighing.

"Yeah. Wanted to steal a dance off you, though, and couldn't find you."

"Idiot… Won't Blake be upset her date has run off?"

"Not really. Blake only ever put up with me. She likes me as a person, maybe as a friend." Sun shrugged. "It could be more, but she's the one who told me we should cut tonight short."

"Why? She promised you a date. She said she was willing."

"She was. I wasn't."

Weiss grimaced. "Sun…"

"Blake's the one who noticed it." he said. "We were dancing, chatting, having fun, and then she just asked who I was lookin' for." He ran a hand through his hair and coughed in embarrassment. "Didn't even realise I was doin' it but talk about a dick move. Finally convinced her to give me a chance and I spent the whole time barely paying attention to her."

The girl beside him didn't say a word. Nor did she turn to look at him.

"She said… she said that if I didn't want to go with her, I shouldn't. That if my heart wasn't in it, we shouldn't pretend for the sake of it."

"I'm sorry…" Weiss whispered.

"I'm not. Well, I am, but not in the way you think. I'm sorrier for making things awkward with her. I think Blake was relieved, though. Not sure if she just never liked me that way or just doesn't have the time for romance, but this date… It always felt like something she was doing to return the favour, you know. Like she didn't really want it all that much."

"Blake is…" Weiss tried to find the right words to defend her teammate. Idiot came to mind and wouldn't have been wrong, but it felt unfair. "Complicated. She's had a bizarre life compared to most people. I suppose that's set her up for some… warped priorities."

"You mean the whole `White Fang obsession` thing?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, I noticed. I mean, hard not to. First time she and I really talked is when she ran away from you guys." He sighed again. "Kinda weird though, looking back. I really did love her. Or like her," he admitted with a shrug. "Fancied her. I thought she was gorgeous, and the more I learned about her, the more I liked her."

"Feelings are fluid. I disliked Ruby at first and not we're firm friends. I loved and respected my father… once upon a time."

"Guess so. Blake going from someone I fancy to a friend isn't such a bad thing, I guess."

Weiss didn't say anything.

They both knew what he was hinting at, what he was trying to say. They were beating around the bush – or he was. In his head, there'd been something a lot more spectacular to say. He couldn't remember the words now, and what few bits stuck with him seemed pathetic.

"You look good in that suit," Weiss finally said.

"Azure sent it to me." He thumbed the collar and grinned. "Said he found it left in our lodge and didn't want it to go to waste. Sent a little message along with it, too."

"What did it say?"

" _The biggest regret in my life was waiting for the right opportunity to say what I'd always longed to say. I'll never be able to reclaim all those missed opportunities I had to be honest with my feelings and my family, and those years have been wasted_."

Weiss chuckled. "Poetic…"

"Yeah. That was all the letter said but… you know, it kinda hit me."

"Sun. Don't…"

"Sorry, Weiss, I'm not willing to live in regret over this." Looking at her, he watched her shoulders stiffen. "I want to have a dance with you."

Weiss froze, glanced his way and then relaxed. Her relief was palpable, as was her shock. It looked like she'd expected something more. Something heavier. Her shoulders relaxed. "A… A Dance…?" she asked.

"Sure. This suit was made to go with that dress."

"That is a store-bought suit…"

"Okay, fine. It was _purchased_ to go with that dress." He rolled his eyes. "You're so particular."

A small and amused smile slipped across her lips. "I'm specific, you mean."

"Semantics." He held a hand out. "Dance with me?"

"Out here?"

"Sure. Unless you _want_ to dance in there where everything is cramped, sweaty and loud." They could still hear the music from inside easily enough, so it wasn't as if they'd have nothing to dance to. "As a benefit, there's no one to witness my terrible dance moves."

Weiss laughed. "Except me."

"Ah, but I'm hoping you will take sweet mercy on me."

"I suppose I'll have to," she said, placing her hand in his. " _Someone_ owes you a dance at any rate. If Blake won't do it, I guess I shall have to."

"You're too kind my lady. To dance with an undesirable scoundrel like myself." He grinned and swept an imaginary and floppy hat off his head. "I am a master of the vague shuffle, the awkward waltz and know the hidden secrets of the confused bumble. Your choice."

Stepping into him, Weiss drew one of his hands behind her back and placed hers on his chest. "Let me lead," she said.

"You assume I even know how to follow…"

"You'll learn. Or I'll punish you for stepping on my toes."

Drawing him to the side as the music shifted, Weiss led him through the opening stages of a slow dance. Her gown swept around her legs as she moved, feet stepping purposefully alongside his, one hand on his chest and the other in his hand.

Their bodes were close. Their breath mingled. Sun tightened his hold on her, drawing her in a little closer, and Weiss didn't protest. Soon, they were moving across the grassy field outside the hall, dancing in the moonlight to the low music in the distance.

When the first song ended and the next began, Sun made no move to let go of her and Weiss made no effort to stop dancing. He wasn't sure how many they danced through, or for how long. Only that they did, and that Weiss' head was now laid against his chest, eyes closed.

"You liar," she whispered, hoarse. "You know how to dance…"

"To be fair, I didn't an hour or two ago. Blake's glares when you step on her toes are good motivation to learn quickly. You ever seen that evil look?"

Weiss laughed. "Every morning when she looks at Zwei…"

"Yeah. That's the one." Sun swept Weiss along, twirling her gently and marvelling at how she so easily kept up, never once losing her balance. Despite the differences in their height and build, she seemed to fit so effortlessly against him. "It's funny," he said. "I spent so long dreaming of dancing like this with Blake, and then the moment it finally happened all I could do was look for you."

Her face became troubled. "Sun…"

"Maybe that makes me shallow. That I'd claim to love her and then have my whole world shift in the space of a week. Maybe I _am_ shallow. Maybe I was an idiot to call it love when it obviously wasn't." He brought his hand higher, up to Weiss' shoulder. "I'm not sure. I'm only seventeen. But… one thing I am sure of is that whatever I felt for Blake, I now feel for you."

"Is that…" Weiss laughed bitterly. "Is that supposed to be romantic…? Saying that you feel for me the same you did for a girl you fell out of love with in a single week?"

"It sounded better in my head, I'll admit…"

"You and I sound better in the head than we do in real life, Sun. We… Look at us. We're so different, both in terms of personality, ambitions and everything else. How would we work? How would we even fit together?"

"Awkwardly. Stupidly." He brought a hand under her chin to tilt her head up towards his. "Wonderfully."

"Terribly," she countered.

"Maybe. But I think that's what Azure was trying to say. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. But I don't think I could look back on this moment and not regret it if I walked away now and pretended everything that happened in Mistral didn't." He held onto her. "Could you?"

"I don't know. I… I was horrible to you. I placed my position as heiress over you and your feelings."

"It was a complicated situation," he said. "I didn't handle it all that well either. I was kinda pushy…"

Weiss laughed. "Is that how you put it?"

Flushing, Sun would have rubbed his head if not for the desire to keep his hands on her. He grinned nervously instead. "It's the nice way of putting it. I wasn't perfect."

"Nor was I." Weiss sighed. "Yang pointed out some truths to me. Father… He was never going to make me the real heiress. I suppose I was just so naïve, thinking that I could keep on pleasing him forever and taking over."

"You can do better," Sun said. "You're smart, driven and you don't have his bad reputation. You could make your own company, build it up from scratch and change the world your way. Make something you'd be proud of."

Weiss closed her eyes. "Yang suggested the same."

"Then she knows her stuff. Just like I do." Hesitantly, Sun brought one hand up to stroke her cheek. "Last time I checked, you said that was the one thing holding you back."

Her lips curled up. "I did."

"The last time…"

He cut off, enraptured by Weiss' eyes as she opened them before him. Her thick lashes cut dark lines across pale blue as she looked up at him. His breath was stolen away and slammed back into his lungs with such a shock that he almost faltered and fell.

"The last time…" Forcing himself to keep going, he swallowed and said, "The last time I kissed you, you told me it was a mistake."

Wiess held his gaze. "I did."

"If… If I were to kiss you again now. Would it still be a mistake?"

"I don't know…" she whispered. She sounded afraid.

Slowly, gently, he brought his face to hers. He let his arms loosen, enough that she could pull away if she wanted to, even if the thought hurt. He tilted his head to the side and held it there, eyes lidded, watching to see what she would do.

Weiss tilted her head back, parted her lips and closed her eyes.

It was the permission he'd been looking for.

His lips touched hers, moulded against them, and then Weiss was pushing back, pushing up into him and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling his head down at the same time. His hands slid down to her hips.

It was neither as heated or as rushed as their last. As their first. Sun broke it first, drawing breath, and then dove back down again, capturing her words before they could be spoken, showing his with his actions instead, making her _feel_ his desire. Weiss' hands rose from his neck to fist in his hair, holding him still as her lips bruised his. She wasn't one to be a silent observer. If he was trying to make a point to her then she was making her own abundantly clear in return.

Eventually, they broke apart. Sun's cheeks were red, and he fought for breath, staring down into lidded eyes as Weiss' lips shone in the moonlight.

Emotions flashed through her eyes. Doubt, fear, uncertainty, denial and so much more. Every part of her knew they shouldn't work, even as he did. The chances that this would work out were slim to none, but if Azure had taught him anything it was that even the smallest chance was better than none. He would never regret giving it a damn good shot.

"Was that…" He gasped. "Was that a mistake?"

Weiss' arms tightened behind him, drawing him back down. "I don't know," she whispered against his lips. "Try it again."

* * *

 **Yep. That's it, the end.**

 **I'm going to fight my instinctual urge to try and write an epilogue for this and instead leave it there. Can Weiss and Sun make it work out? Will the relationship hold? Does it matter if they can or can't? Is not the fact they're willing to try enough?**

 **Weirdly enough, I suppose the message or theme of this story is kind of an atypical one for a romance. It's saying that we can really fall in or out of love with anyone, and that there is no "perfect one" but rather hundreds and thousands of possibilities that people never choose to take a risk with every day of their lives.**

 **Weiss and Sun represent one such possibility. Who can say whether it will go the distance or not, but the two of them ultimately decide to give it a go – and to hell with anyone who tells them that it can't or won't work.** **Or maybe that's just all the painkillers talking. Wheeee.**

* * *

 **Anyway, I have my week off from this Saturday on because of my work event on the 28** **th** **, which means that the next chapter of this would normally not be until the 9** **th** **, but, this story is over. Which means I need a week between to write and plan the story to replace this.**

 **That means that the NEW story will come out on the 23** **rd** **April.**

 **Insane, I know. It's because this Tuesday slot is biweekly, and, with one week absent, that means it's 5 weeks to a new story coming out. Service with a Smile will continue as normal on its usual days.**

 **As for the new story, I have something planned but want to keep it secret until it comes out. It's not "Null" as shown on my profile, just because I've been trying to perfect Null and get an idea of where I want it to go. It's a different story altogether.**

 **Unless the title changes, it will be called "Arcanum"**

* * *

 **Story End**

* * *

 **Next Story: 23** **rd** **April – Arcanum**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


End file.
